Embers
by WaterGirl98
Summary: The war is long over and the Rebellion is simply something of the past. Panem is a mostly happy place to live now and the Games are just a haunting memory to most. The Mellark family lives a happy life, and all seems well. Despite all of this, some still believe the Capitol should rule. The fire may have died out, but embers still remain... Please review!
1. Prologue

Embers

Prologue

Sometimes I want to ask myself: Real or not real?

Peeta asked that all the time. He had to. It was the only way he could separate the real things from the awful things the Capitol had planted in his mind. As time went on his questions became less and less frequent. Especially after we had children.

At first I didn't want them. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to be there for them, like my mother wasn't there for me. I was afraid I would fail them.

Peeta was persistent, though. He kept begging me for them. I would always dismiss the subject whenever he brought it up, which was very often. Eventually, I couldn't take it any more and I gave in to his request.

When I first felt her move inside me I was purely terrified. The movement was a reminder of my fear of failure. It was a reminder of how I wouldn't be able to protect her from the world forever.

For nine months I lived in misery. Not only from the symptoms of pregnancy, but from the fear of her coming into my life. Most mothers can't wait for the birth of their child, but, honestly, I was dreading it. It got to a point where the fear had almost taken over my life. It was a fear that I hadn't experienced before, and it was almost unbearable.

Then, one day in the later months of spring, my fear melted away when I held her in my arms for the first time. She was perfect in every way imaginable. Her hair was brown like mine, and when she opened her eyes they were a dark, steely blue like all babies' eyes are. I couldn't believe that she was mine. I was in love.

"She's perfect," Peeta said. I looked at him and smiled. He kissed me. Our baby began to squeal. I held her against my shoulder and rocked her. I shushed her gently as I swayed back and forth in the bed.

"Shhh. Shhh. It's okay...I'm here. Mommy's here," I told her. She began to calm down, but I kept rocking her.

"It's working," Peeta whispered with a smile. I leaned my head against hers.

"Primrose," I whispered. She made a small noise and I kept whispering her name. Peeta put his arm around me and I kissed Prim's forehead. She fell asleep with her head on my shoulder.

I looked at Peeta who was smiling. I was so happy. I was so glad he had convinced me to do this. I looked at Prim who was nestled against my shoulder.

"Primrose..." I whispered. "Primrose Rue..." I said to Peeta.

"Primrose Rue Mellark. It's beautiful," Peeta said. I looked at my daughter and felt tears come to my eyes. This was the most perfect moment of my life.

Three years later Finnick Cinna Mellark came along. He had blonde hair like Peeta's and grey eyes like mine. Peeta was excited to finally have a son, and I was excited to have another addition to the family.

Over the years, there have been many problems regarding the Capitol. Even though the war has long been over, there are still those who believe the Capitol should still be in control. It has caused some trouble for my family, but I've done my best to protect them.

I constantly wonder what I've done to deserve my family, and ask myself "Real or not real?". Each one of them has brought me a special kind of joy. Especially, Prim. She will always be my little girl, no matter how old she gets.

She reminds me so much of my sister Prim and Rue. Sometimes she even reminds me of myself. Wether or not that's good or bad, I don't know. All I know is that I love her beyond reason.

Ever since I had Prim the fear of having children has been replaced by the fear of losing them. I don't know what I'd do if I lost Prim or Finnick. I don't think I'd be able to continue living. They are my world, and if they're gone my life would have almost no meaning.

When I first saw Prim I knew what I had to do. I vowed to protect her and my family at all costs. If anyone even tries to hurt them, they'll have to deal with me...nothing could ever happen to my children. Not as long as I'm their mother.

I will always be there for them. No matter where they go...


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

I sit in the shade of a large oak tree. A refreshing spring breeze blows into my face. It smells like the woods. A smell I've loved for as long as I can rememer.

The breeze makes all the flowers in the meadow sway. They look like an ocean of flowers, and I suddenly have the urge to run through them like I did when I was a little girl. I smile as I remember how my brother, Finnick, and I would come here everday and play under the watchful eyes of our parents. This place couldn't be any more perfect in my eyes.

I hum a little song as I flip through my school books. Tomorrow is the last day of school, and also my last final. I'm not worried, though, because it's history and history is my favorite subject.

In a tree somewhere to my left a mockingjay mimics my song. I smile and sing a little tune. It sings back and all of the other mockingjays sing too. The song echoes all around me as I read through my textbook.

I skim through a page about Panem before the Capitol, then look through my notes about the Capitol's rule over Panem. I study my flashcards on the thirteen districts, look through my notes on the First and Second Rebellions, and read about the rebuilding of Panem. Once I finish studying I flip back through the book to the page about the Second Rebellion. One sentence especially catches my eye. I put my finger on it.

"The Rebellion was initially started by Katniss Everdeen and her fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark, after the 74th Hunger Games. Although, the main fighting was fought after the 75th Games," I whisper to myself. I knew that my parents had something to do with the Rebellion, but I knew very little about what they did back then. They never talked about it.

I close my textbook and pack everything else up. I take in a deep breath of the early evening air and stand. I look around at the meadow and begin my walk home.

My pace quickens as I walk through the poor part of town, which people still call The Seam. Not that I don't like it here, it's just that it makes me sad to see that people have to live this way. I see some kids from school and give a small wave. They don't see me and I keep moving.

When I'm out of The Seam I direct myself towards home. I pass the bakery and see that the lights are out. A smile spreads across my face as I wonder what they have prepared for me. I turn fifteen today.

I walk down the street and see our house. When I get closer the door opens and Mom comes out to greet me. I smile at her.

"Hey, Mom," I say.

"Where have you been all afternoon?" she asks. I can tell she is stalling time. One thing Mom isn't especially good at is hiding things from me.

"I was studying for my history final. It's tomorrow," I tell her. Mom nods. We stand in silence for a moment.

"So, are you just taking your final tomorrow and that's it?" Mom asks.

"Well, Mr. Swan said that we'll have a lesson after our final. Nothing for a grade, just to kill time with," I say. Mom nods again. She waits a few moments.

"Let's go inside," she says with a smile. I nod and follow her through the doorway. We walk in and I smile at what I see.

"Happy Birthday!" my family shouts. I thank them and hug all of them. Even Uncle Gale and Grandma are there. I hug Grandma and she holds my face between her hands. She looks like she has tears in her eyes.

"You get more and more beautiful everytime I see you, Prim," she says.

"Thank you, Grandma," I say. She hugs me again and doesn't let go for a long time. When she pulls back I can see tears on her cheeks.

"It's okay," I tell her. She pushes a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"You just remind me so much of-" Mom cuts Grandma off.

"Mother! Let's not talk about that," she says in a firm voice. I look back at Mom who seems almost angry. She sees me looking at her and her expression softens.

"Come see your cake," Dad says as he leads me into the kitchen. I gasp when I see my cake.

"It's incredible!" I say as I hug Dad. The cake was absolutely beautiful. It had two layers with white icing and pink icing flowers all over.

"It took me forever to get Dad to approve of the frosting. I had to make it while he baked the cake." Finnick says. "The frosting was never pink enough."

"Thanks, Finn," I say. "The cake looks great. Did you frost it?" I ask jokingly. In all of his twelve years my brother absolutely couldn't learn to frost cakes right. He can only do the base frosting, but when it comes to decorating, he's a lost cause.

"Are you kidding? Dad wouldn't let me near a frosting knife," Finnick says. We all laugh. "This is all just amazing," I say. "Thank you." We all gather in the kitchen and eat. The cake is strawberry, my favorite flavor. After we have cake we open presents. I got a new dress from Mom and Dad, a bracelet from Finnick, a note from Uncle Gale, and a beautiful necklace from Grandma. I put it around my neck.

"Grandma, this is beautiful," I tell her.

"I found it at the house and I knew I had to give it to you," she says. I hold the charm in my hand. It is a silver flower.

"Was it yours?" I ask. Grandma's eyes tear over.

"It was your aunt's..." Grandma says. A sob escapes her. Mom looks angry again. I get up and go to my grandmother.

"It's okay," I say as I put a hand on her shoulder. She hugs me against her and strokes my hair. I feel tears come to my eyes as Grandma lets all of her pain out.

"Enough," Mom says as she gets up. "That's enough, Mom." Grandma pulls back and holds my hand. A tear rolls down my cheek and I whipe it away. Grandma tries to calm herself down, but the damage has been done.

"Why don't I take you home, Mrs. Everdeen?" Uncle Gale says as he stands. Grandma looks at him and nods. She stands and takes my shoulders.

"I'm sorry..." she whispers.

"It's okay," I tell her. "Thank you for coming." Uncle Gale and Grandma leave. Mom huffs and starts to clean up.

"What's wrong?" I ask her. Mom stops and turns.

"I just hate that she ruined your day," she says. I am shocked.

"Grandma didn't ruin my day. She could never-"

"She just needs to let things go. It's in the past, and I know it hurts...how do you think I feel about it?" Mom says. She doesn't seem to be talking to me anymore, but to herself. I start to speak.

"I miss Prim just as much as she does...if not more. I was there when she died...I could've saved her," Mom says. I know she's upset. She always gets like this when she talks about my Aunt Primrose. I never knew her. She died during the war in an explosion. Grandma and Mom were devastated.

Mom sniffs and Dad goes to her. He holds her in an embrace while Finnick and I watch. We have seen this happen so many times. Mom pulls away and looks at me.

"I just can't believe that you're fifteen," she says as she hugs me.

"Me either," I say with a laugh. Mom doesn't laugh, or even smile. She just holds me for a while. Finnick clears his throat and Mom pulls back.

"Why don't you two go upstairs?" she suggests. "Finnick, you can get ready for your trip, okay?" Finnick nods and we leave the kitchen. We hear Mom and Dad beginning to whisper. I wonder what they are talking about. Suddenly, Finnick inturrupts my thoughts.

"Family gatherings always end up in tears," Finnick mumbles as we walk up the stairs.

"They can't help it," I say.

"I know, but I'm sick of it. Any little thing sets them off. They always end up upset about something," he grumbles. "Can't they just get over it?"

"How can you be so insensitive?" I ask. "If you went through half of what they did-!" Finnick cuts me off.

"You too!" he huffs. "Man, I'm glad I'm leaving for two months! You're all too emotional for me."

"Shut up, Finn!" I shout at him as he runs ahead of me into his room. I go to my own room and shut the door. I don't understand how Finnick could think that. I understand where he's coming from, it can be kind of upsetting sometimes to see our family like that, but he can at least be understanding.

I listen to him packing in his room, which is right next to mine. I decide that I'm glad he's going away on vacation with his friends for two months too. That way I won't have to hurt him for what he just said.

The next morning Dad comes and wakes me up for school. I roll over and try to ignore him.

"Come on, Prim. Wake up. It's your last day," he urges. I groan and roll out of bed. he laughs and goes downstairs while I get dressed. I put on jeans, an old shirt, and put my hair up into a loose pony-tail. I groggily walk downstairs.

"Good morning," Mom says. I sit at the kitchen table across from Finnick and eat my breakfast. I look him over and he looks back like he had done nothing wrong.

"What?" he whispers. I shake my head and look down at my breakfast. I finish eating and grab my school bag. Finnick grabs his and his suitcase. He's leaving right after school. Mom hugs him.

"Be careful, Finnick, okay? Be good, and I want you to call me-"

"Okay, Mom, geez," he says as he pulls back. "I will."

"See you later," I tell my parents. They nod. Finnick and I walk outside and head towards school. We walk together in silence.

We reach the school and Finnick and I split up. He goes to the middle school, and I go to the high school. I go to my locker and get my things.

"Hi, Prim." I look over and see Cecilia Woodington standing there. Her straw colored, and textured hair is sticking in all directions, and her round cheeks are as rosy as ever.

"Hey, Cecilia," I say. Not that I'm a mean person, but I don't particularly like Cecilia. She is an annoying know it all who follows me around all the time. Not only that, but she always invites me over to her house.

"Are you excited for the last day of school?" she asks. I shrug.

"Sure, I guess," I answer indifferently. I start to walk away, but Cecilia follows me. No matter how hard I try, she just doesn't seem to get the message.

"I am! I can't wait to get outta here!" she says. "Hey, wasn't yesterday your birthday?"

"Yeah," I answer. Cecilia's face lights up.

"Happy Late Birthday!" she says happily. I smile half-heartedly.

"Thanks." Cecilia smiles and perks up.

"How about after school you come to my house and we can celebrate?" she suggests.

"I can't," I sigh. "Sorry."

"Really? I mean, you could come over and my Mom will have food and you can spend the night and-"

"I just can't come...sorry, Cecilia," I say. Cecilia looks dissapointed.

"That's okay," she says. We walk through the halls and Cecilia talks my ear off until we have to go our separate ways. I sigh in relief once she's gone.

The school day seems to last longer than usual. I wait for history, which is the last class of the day, and because it's the day of the final, class is longer. The bell rings, signalling the start of our one hour and thirty minute history class.

When we sit down Mr. Swan puts our finals face down on our desks. He watches the clock and tells us to begin. The test is way easier than I thought. I go through the questions easily and finish within twenty minutes.

The rest of the class finishes and Mr. Swan collects out tests. Everyone murmers to eachother about how they think they did. Mr. Swan calls the class to order and we are silent.

"Alright, class, I know you're anxious to leave, but I have one more lesson before all is said and done," Mr. Swan says. Most kids groan.

"Nothing, for a grade, just for the sake of learning," he says. "We'll be briefly covering The Hunger Games today. It may be a sensitive subject, but it's a part of our nation's history." Some kids smile others look indifferent. I get cold chills.

"Some of you seem excited, but others of you may not be. If you wish to not stay for the lesson, you may go to the library and there is another assignment for you there. I know this may be uncomfortable for some of us to sit through," he says. "I'll be showing you a brief summary video of the 74th Games. It is argueably the most important Games in the history of Panem. If you wish to go to the library, now is your chance to do so."

Mr. Swan looks at me, and I look around the room. No one gets up to leave. I think about going, but decide against it. This video may show me something about my parents that they haven't told me themselves.

Mr. Swan turns on the monitor and we hear the National Anthem of Panem. I shift in my seat and get comfortable. This may sound terrible, but I'm kind of excited. I'm about to learn things I've wanted to know for as long as I can remember.

On the screen the word "Tributes" appears. I watch as the pictures of the tributes from District One appear and they say their names. I don't pay much attention until I hear the names of the tributes from District Eleven. I look at the picture of the girl tribute, Rue. She was the one my mother named me after, well at least my middle name.

Then the familiar faces of my parents appear on the screen. I study their expressions and suddenly regret wanting to watch this. I think of Mom sitting at home and Dad at the bakery. I wonder what they would think if they knew what I was about to see.

The words "Let the Games Begin" come on the screen. We see a large cornucopia like object overflowing with supplies and weapons in the middle of a field. Then twenty-four people start to rise up from the ground. I find my parents on their separate platforms, and watch them as a voice counts down from ten.

When they say "one" all of the tributes rush off their platforms. I gasp as Mom barely shields herself from a knife thrown at her. People behind me snicker. Mom and Dad leave the sight if the "Bloodbath" as a narrator tells us it is called, and the Careers start to take out the other tributes. I watch in horror as they show the deaths of so many kids at once.

The video skips ahead and the words "First Signs of Rebellion" appear. I get cold chills as I hear a young girl scream. The same voice begins calling Mom's name.

"Katniss! Katniss, help!" the girl shouts. I grip the edge of my desk and watch as Mom starts to untangle the girl from District Eleven, Rue, from a net. I sigh in relief when she escapes. Just when I think they are okay, a Career appears and throws his spear at them. I gasp and squeeze my eyes shut.

I open them just in time to see Mom send an arrow straight through the Career's throat. I cover my mouth and watch in horror as Rue pulls a spear out of her stomach. Mom takes her into her arms and lays Rue's head on her lap.

"You're gonna be okay," Mom says to Rue. Rue asks Mom to sing. Mom holds back tears and starts to sing. I fight tears myself when I realize what song she is singing. It is the lullaby she would sing to me when I was a little girl.

Rue passes away and Mom threads flowers into her hair. A tear rolls down my cheek and I quickly whipe it away. Mom kisses her three fingers and holds them out to Rue. It is the "goodbye" symbol we use at funerals here. As Mom walks away, I decide I couldn't be more proud to be named after Rue.

The video skips ahead to my parents in a cave. Dad looks absolutely awful. He has a huge gash in his leg and he looks miserable. Seeing him like that makes me feel awful. My eyes sting with tears and I put my head down.

"Miss Mellark," Mr. Swan asks as he pauses the video. I slowly bring my head up.

"Yes sir?" I say in a small voice.

"Would you like to leave?" he asks. I whipe my eyes.

"Are you crying, Mellark?" Xander says.

"Mr. Ellington," Mr. Swan says firmly.

"What? There's no reason for her to be crying!" Xander says with a laugh. I am furious. I stand and turn on him.

"I'd like to see you sit here and watch your parents go through this!" I shout.

"Enough!" Mr. Swan says. "Miss Mellark, if you must, you are dismissed to the library." I sit.

"No. I'm staying," I say as I cross my arms. I've already shown enough weakness. I'm not about to show any more.

Mr. Swan shakes his head and resumes the video. I watch painfully as I see my parents suffer so much. I watch as they escape muttations, take out the boy from District Two, and use berries to convince the Capitol to let them both win.

The bell rings and we all leave the room quickly. I get my things from my locker and walk down the hallway as fast as I can. Cecilia stops me.

"Hey, Prim! How was?-Whoa...are you okay?" she asks when she sees my expression and puffy eyes.

"I'm fine," I say in a broken voice. Cecilia looks at me in concern.

"Maybe I should walk you home, or you should call your Mom," she suggests.

"No, I'm fine," I answer quickly. Cecilia sighs, and starts to protest.

"Bye," I say and walk away down the hall. I leave school and decide against going straight home. I can't face my parents right now. It would be to hard.

I change directions and head towards the woods. I know that there I can forget about school and other troubles. It will just be me, nature, and I know someone I can trust will be waiting there for me.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

I walk among the trees and inhale the fresh woodland air. The smell seems to cleanse me of my worries in a way. I feel a lot better.

When I reach our designated spot I sit at the base of a tree trunk and wait. I know he's out here somewhere. I purse my lips and whistle the tune that we had organized a few years ago. The mockingjays mimic the tune and it echoes throughout the whole forest.

While I wait I think of Finnick on his way to the coast. I envy him for going on vacation. Then again, I'm glad to have time to myself for two months.

"Hey, Rosie." I look up.

"I thought you'd never show up," I joke. Uncle Gale smiles. "And no matter how much you say it, I'll never like being called 'Rosie'" I state.

"Hey, I like it," he says. I roll my eyes and stand. I notice the rabbit tied to his belt.

"Nice rabbit," I say. "Did you trap it?" Uncle Gale shakes his head.

"No, I shot it. It just hopped right in front of me, so I took it. I don't have as good a shot as you, though." I smile.

I've been hunting with Uncle Gale for about three years now. Of course, my parents don't know of this. If they knew I was running around the woods with a bow and arrow they'd have a fit. The only reason Uncle Gale keeps my secret is because, as he says, "I can't afford to lose another good hunting partner. You're the closest to Katniss as I can get."

I first discovered my good aim when I was twelve years old. Finnick and I had been begging Mom for years to show us how to shoot. It took a while, but she finally gave in to our request.

She showed us how to shoot and Finnick, who was nine at the time, tried first. He shot five times and didn't hit the target on the tree once. When I tried I hit the center on my third try. Then three more times after that. Mom was impressed, but she wasn't about to let me continue shooting. When Uncle Gale found out about my talent, he took me out hunting with him and my skills have only improved from there.

"You wanna help me check my traps?" Uncle Gale asks.

"Sure," I say. He hands me my bow and quiver of arrows. He smiles.

"I borrowed them for a bit," he says. I laugh and we walk through the woods. We check all of the traps for game. By the time we've checked them all, we've gotten four rabbits, five if you count the one Uncle Gale shot.

"Not too bad, Rosie," Uncle Gale says while we sit down at our spot overlooking the valley.

"But I didn't do anything," I say. "You set the traps."

"We're partners," Uncle Gale says as he pops a berry into his mouth. "Whatever one does, the other does too. I didn't set those traps. We set those traps." I smile. We sit in silence for a minute.

"So, how was your last day of school?" Uncle Gale asks. I sigh. He looks at me and knits his eyebrows.

"What? You didn't fail your final did you?" he questions. I shake my head.

"No, no...I did fine," I assure him.

"Then why so you sound so upset?" I look out into the valley.

"We watched a documentary in history today..."

"So?" Uncle Gale asks.

"It was about the 74th Hunger Games," I mumble as I squish a berry between my fingers. Red juice oozes out from it and I shudder.

I look at Uncle Gale who has been silent since I had spoken. His jaw is clenched and he is staring straight ahead. He seems to be deep in thought.

"Don't tell Katniss," he says suddenly. I am confused.

"Why?" I ask.

"Just don't tell her. Don't tell Peeta either." I start to speak.

"I don't understand. Why wouldn't I-" Uncle Gale turns to me quickly and cuts me off.

"Because you aren't ready! They didn't want you to know yet..." he tells me.

"Why not?" I ask after a few moments. Uncle Gale sighs.

"They want to protect you. If you knew about what they had to go through...if you saw what happened to them...what happened to all of us," he is silent for a moment. "They don't want that for you, Prim." I take this in. I know how serious he is because he called me "Prim" and not "Rosie".

"I see," I whisper. Uncle Gale looks down and then back up.

"Tell me about it," he says.

"About what?" I ask.

"The video." Uncle Gale looks at me and I sigh. I start to tell him about what I saw. When I get to the part about the cave he looks away.

"Just don't tell them. Whatever you do...don't tell them," he says. I feel chills run up and down my spine. I look down at my bow in my lap.

"Okay," I answer. We sit in silence for a while. Uncle Gale tries carrying on more conversation, but it's too awkward. I look up at the sun. If I wait any longer Mom will be worried.

"It's getting late...I should go home," I tell him. He nods. I grab my bow, stand up, and start to walk away.

"See ya, Rosie," he says. I turn and see him smiling at me. I smile back.

"Bye, Uncle Gale." I walk through the woods and hide my bow and arrows in the tree where they always go. I walk out of the woods and climb over the fence. I look back into the forest and sigh.

I take the long way home and walk slowly. I'm trying to avoid as much time with my parents as possible. When I get to the house I stand by the back door and wait. I take a deep breath and turn the knob.

"When I walk in I smell dinner cooking in the kitchen. Lamb stew. My mother and mine's favorite.

"Peeta?" Mom calls.

"It's me," I answer as I walk into the kitchen. Mom looks up from cooking and smiles

"Hey, sweetheart! How was your day?" she asks. I think of what Uncle Gale told me. I flash her my best smile.

"It was great," I lie. Mom smiles.

"What did you do after school?" she questions.

"Just hung out with friends," I lie again. Mom nods.

"What are you making?" I ask to change the subject.

"Lamb stew. It's our favorite, and I figured I'd make it tonight since Finnick doesn't like it," Mom answers. I nod. The back door opens and Dad walks into the kitchen smiling.

"Hi, Dad," I say as he kisses my forehead.

"How was school?" he asks.

"Good," I answer. He smiles and kisses Mom. I look down at his fake leg and shudder.

"Prim? Are you okay?" Mom asks. I snap out of my trance and smile.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine. Just a little tired is all," I lie. Mom and Dad nod.

"Okay, well, dinner is almost ready so why don't you get the table set?" Mom suggests. I nod and do what I'm told.

When the stew is finished, we sit down and start eating. I blow on my first spoonful and put it into my mouth. It fills my body with warmth and I feel a little better about today.

"So, what was the special lesson Mr. Swan had planned?" Mom asks. I stop bringing my spoon towards my mouth and stare at her from across the table. I didn't expect this question. I put my spoon down.

"Umm, it was just about the economy of District Twelve. Nothing too interesting," I lie.

"I can imagine," Dad says. I nod and continue eating my stew.

"Is it good?" Mom asks. I knit my eyebrows.

"The stew. Do you like it?" she questions. I swallow and nod.

"It's great, Mom," I say. She smiles and takes a bite of her own. We finish dinner and I help do the dishes. Dad leaves the room, and comes back with a white bag.

"What are those?" I ask. Dad smiles.

"Leftovers from the bakery," he says. "I have a lot today." We finish the dishes and go to the family room. Dad distributes pastries and cookies while Mom switches through channels on tv.

We watch tv and eat pastries for most of the evening. Even though the tv would keep my mind mostly off of it, my eyes would drift towards Dad's fake leg. Images of the video flash through my mind and I bite my lip.

"I'm tired," I say. "Goodnight." I stand and head for the stairs. Mom and Dad say goodnight as I walk away. As I walk up the stairs I hear them talking. I stop and listen.

"Is she okay?" Dad asks.

"I don't know. She seemed kind of...jumpy. Do you think something happened?" Mom asks.

"No...if anything did happen she'd tell us. This isn't Finnick we're dealing with. She's probably just nervous about her grades or something," Dad suggests. Mom agrees and I bite my lip. I quietly walk up the rest of the stairs and go into my room.

I lay in bed and think of the video. I wonder about other things Mom and Dad aren't telling me. I wonder about the reasons why.

My mind races and I remember the attic. It has been forbidden from Finnick and I for as long as I can remember. I get up from my bed and sneak down the hall. I hear the tv on downstairs and head towards the attic.

I reach the attic door at the end of the hall. I grab the doorknob and keep my hand there for a moment. The metal is cool and it sends goosebumps up my arm.

Downstairs the tv is still on and I slowly turn the knob. I pull the door open and the cool air from the attic rushes over me. I shiver and take a deep breath. I walk in and close the door.

The air smells like dust. I look at the stairs that rise up before me and take one cautious step after another. I do my best not to stumble in the dark. If I make too much noise I'll get caught, and who knows what Mom and Dad will do to me if they find me up here.

I reach the top and see tons of boxes. I can hear the tv on through the floor, and Mom and Dad murmering. I take a step towards a box and the floorboard creaks loudly. Mom and Dad mute the tv.

"What was that?" Mom asks. They are silent and I stay as still as I possibly can.

"Must be nothing," Dad says as he turns the sound back on the tv. I sigh quietly in relief and carefully walk towards one of the boxes. It is labled "Baby Clothes".

I look through it and see clothes that Finnick and I wore when we were little. I close the box in dissapointment and move to another box. This next one is labled "Prim". I open it and surprisingly, I don't recognize anything in it.

There are only old clothes. I go through the box and examine each item in awe. I touch the silver flower around my neck when I realize that these things belonged to my aunt.

I look through the clothes and among all the other worn shirts and skirts, there is a pretty blouse and skirt. I look at them and smile. I fold them up and tuck them under my arm.

I return all the other clothes to the box and close it. I look around the rest of the attic and find nothing but old belongings. I don't understand why Mom and Dad wouldn't let us up here.

I finally reach the last box. This one is labled "Peeta's Paintings". Excitement rises up in me and I open the box. The painting on top is beautiful. It is a meadow. My meadow.

I lift the painting and set it on the ground. I turn back to the box and see a darker painting of a girl. I look at it a little longer and realize it's Mom. I study it and wonder why Dad had painted her to look so angry. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he hated her when he painted this.

I take the painting and set it on the ground. The next painting is of another girl. This time I recognize her right away. It's Rue. I study the painting for a while, taking in her every feature. Tears come to my eyes when I think of how much her family must miss her. I feel like I do, and I never even knew her.

I set the painting on the ground and jump when I see the next one. A terrifying creature with big, hungry, green eyes stares at me. I run my hand over the canvas and feel the rough texture of the paint. This is a muttation.

I shudder and set the painting down. The next painting is of a mockingjay perched on a branch of fire. I don't know what this is supposed to mean. I assume it is a symbol of some kind. I move the painting.

I almost scream when I see the next painting. I cover my mouth as I look at it. It is a girl, I think. The only reason I can't tell is because there are huge bumps all over her body. It is the grossest thing I have ever seen. I can only imagine what had inspired Dad to paint this.

I sit for a long time going through painting after painting. I see several faces, some familiar, some strange. I look at them and imagine their stories. I wonder how they had made their way into Dad's art.

I reach the last painting and I am completely confused by what I see. Mom is standing with her bow drawn back, pointed at a group of people. There is a man, a woman, and two older boys. One of the boys is already on the ground, dead. I feel a knot in my stomach. I turn the painting over and see my father's handwriting. I put my finger under it and read in a whisper.

"Katniss Everdeen ruined my life. She killed my family and took away everything I ever loved. I hate her. I will kill her," I whisper shakily. I take my hand away and set the painting down. I stare at it in disbelief.

I wonder what could have possibly made Dad write such a thing. Mom didn't kill his family. She couldn't have. She wouldn't.

I set all of the paintings back in the box with shakey hands. I close it and step away from it. Tears come to my eyes as I stare at that dreaded box.

I quickly, but quietly walk down the attic stairs and go to my room. I lay on my bed as tears roll down my cheeks and onto my pillow. Now I understand why we weren't allowed up in the attic. It held secrets we should never know.

I fall asleep that night and slip into a dream. I am running through the woods, from what I don't know. I am just running, and I know that I'm running for my life.

Behind me I hear the footfall of a few other people. I am being chased. I look behind me and see the Careers from the 74th Hunger Games running after me with spears and swords in hand.

I scream and run faster. The Careers only laugh and keep after me. No matter what I do they stay right by me. They don't even seem to tire at all.

I run for what feels like forever. My legs grow tired and heavy. The Careers taunt me and wave their spears at me. I keep going and run until I fall down a hill.

I roll and tumble until I'm not even in the woods anymore I'm in the meadow. I stand up and look around. The Careers are gone.

I hear a noise behind me and jump. I turn and see Mom behind me. I start to run to her, but stop when I hear the Careers yelling from the other side of the meadow. I turn and see them coming towards Mom and I. One Career, the boy from District 2 raises is spear and gets ready to throw it.

"Mom!" I scream. "Mom!" Behind me I hear Mom draw back her bowstring. I turn and my heart sinks when I see Mom's dark, angry expression. I scream when she realeases the arrow.

It is aimed straight at my heart.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I wake up to the sound of my own scream piercing the air. I gasp and clutch my chest as images of my nightmare rush back to me. I try pushing them away, but tears only come to my eyes. I hear Mom and Dad running up the steps.

When they run in I jump at the sight of Mom. She runs to my side and reaches for me, but I pull away quickly.

"No! Just don't touch me!" The end of my sentence fades into a whisper as tears roll down my cheeks. Mom looks at me in complete confusion. She looks at Dad who stands next to her at the edge of my bed.

"Prim, what's wrong?" Dad asks. I hide my face behind my knees.

"Prim," Mom says as she reaches for me again. I push her hand away and scoot away from her. Mom looks at Dad in complete shock. Dad sits on the bed and puts his hand on my shoulder. I look at him with teary eyes and he smiles.

"It's okay," he says. I lean into him and Mom watches with an expression of confusion and pain. I bury my face into Dad's chest and sniff. He holds me in his big arms just like he did when I was little.

"Prim, what's wrong?" he asks gently. My lip quavers as I open my mouth.

"I-I had a nightmare," I whisper. Mom and Dad look at me and I know what they're thinking: What nightmare could make her this upset?

"I was being chased by people with spears and swords," I explain. "I ran for what felt like forever. Then I fell down this ravine and I ended up in a meadow. Our meadow." Mom and Dad listen intently.

"Then what?" Dad asks.

"I thought they were gone. The Car-the people chasing me, I mean. Then Mom came from behind me... I was happy to see her. Then the people came back. One was going to throw his spear at me and I asked Mom to stop him." Tears come to my eyes.

"Did he hurt you?" Mom asks softly. I shake my head and a tear rolls down my cheek. Mom knits her eyebrows.

"No," I whisper. "You shot me." I hide my face in Dad's shoulder and he holds me tight. There is silence and I look up to see Mom's horrified expression. Her eyes glisten with tears. She reaches out for me and bites her lip. Dad lets me go and I go to Mom.

"Prim," she gasps as she takes me into her arms. I can tell she is trying not to have a breakdown. I feel selfish for acting the way I did. I never considered the effect it would have on Mom.

"I'm sorry," I say. Mom holds me and shakes her head.

"No...don't be," Mom whispers. Tears roll down my cheeks and onto Mom's shoulder. I lean my head against her as she rocks me back and forth and hums our lullaby. Her humming soon turns into soft singing.

"_Deep in the meadow,_

_ Under the willow._

_ A bed of grass,_

_ A soft green pillow..._" I listen to Mom's voice and try to take my focus away from my nightmare.

"_Here it's safe,_

_ And here it's warm._

_ Here the daisies guard you from every harm._

_ Here your dreams are sweet,_

_ And tomorrow brings them true._

_ Here is the place,_

_ Where I love you._" I lean against her and close my eyes.

I open my eyes and I see the warm morning light peeking into my room through the window. Mom's arms are still wrapped around me and my head is resting on her shoulder. She had stayed with me all through the night.

I lift my head and look around the room. My eyelids are heavy from lack of sleep. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't fall asleep after my nightmare. Whenever I was on the verge of sleep I would hear the sound of a bowstring being drawn back and I would be shocked back to reality.

"Good morning," Mom says quietly. I look at her and she smiles slightly, I smile back. We go out into the hallway and cold chills run over my body when I see the attic door.

Downstairs the floor feels cold on my bare feet. I follow Mom into the kitchen and she gets out things for breakfast.

"Where's Dad?" I ask.

"He must've gone to work," Mom answers. I nod and look at her as she makes us breakfast. I stray into deep thought. Mom notices me staring.

"What?" she questions. I snap out of my trance.

"Oh, uh, nothing," I dismiss. "I'm just tired." Mom looks at me in concern.

"I'm okay, Mom...really," I assure her. Mom looks down and serves me breakfast. I take a bite and my appetite just dissapears. Mom watches as I push the food around with my fork. Finally, I push my plate away.

"I'm not hungry," I say as I get up from the table. I start to walk out of the room.

"Prim," Mom calls. I stop in the doorway and she walks towards me. I turn and face her.

"Yes?" I ask. Mom's eyes look over me, searching for any physical signs of anything that could be wrong. She feels my forehead for my temperature. When she sees that it's normal I can tell she becomes even more concerned.

"Are you sure you're-?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Really, I'm fine. I'm just tired," I tell her. Mom nods and I take a step away from her.

"I'm going to lay down," I say. I exit the kitchen and go upstairs. I walk quickly past the attic and close the door when I get to my room. I sigh and run my hand through my hair. I look out the window and see the forest. I can hear a bird singing and a mockingjay mimicing it's song.

I close the curtains and stand in the darkness. I see my aunt's blouse peeking out from under my bed. I pick it up and rub the soft fabric between my fingers. I sit down.

The blouse and skirt look so perfect in my lap. I stare at them and wonder why I feel this way about them considering they're only clothes. I try to imagine what my aunt looked like in this outfit. I wonder where she wore it and where she got it.

My necklace sits on my nightstand and I grab it. The silver feels cool in my palm and I close my fingers around it. Tears well up in my eyes as I suddenly long for the aunt I never knew. I latch the necklace around my neck and stare down at it.

Suddenly, I feel the urge to put on the blouse and skirt. I take off my pajamas and slip into the outfit. To my pleasure, they fit. I inspect myself in front of the mirror. I tuck in the blouse and turn. The blouse comes untucked in the back. I smile a little because it resembles a duck tail.

I take off the outfit and lay it over a chair in the corner. I put my pajamas back on and sit down in bed. I lay on my side and pull the blankets over me. Warmth spreads over me and I draw my knees up closer to my chest.

Thoughts scatter in my head. Downstairs, I can hear Mom moving around. I wonder about her past...the past she had kept hidden from me. Suddenly, I am angry at her and Dad for keeping such an important part of their lives a mystery. Maybe if they had told me before I wouldn't be so upset now. I'm sure my aunt would've told me if she could.

I lay there for what feels like hours in the dark. Eventually, my eyelids grow heavy. As hard as I try to keep them open they close and I drift off into sleep.

I sit upright in bed as a scream escapes my mouth. I gasp as the events of my dream come back to me. Muttations were chasing me through the forest and ran me right into the Careers. The boy from District 2 took his sword and slashed it across my torso, then they left me for the Mutts.

Mom runs into my room and takes me into her arms. She strokes the back of my head and shushes me.

"They got me," I gasp.

"No...they didn't. It's okay. You were only dreaming. You were dreaming," Mom assures me. I look up at her and see the concern on her face.

"What's wrong, Prim? I'm worried sick about you." I look down and bite my lip.

"I-I don't know," I look up at Mom who's gaze is fixed on the corner. My eyes follow hers and they fall on the blouse and skirt. My heart leaps.

"Mom-"

"How did you-?" Mom mumbles.

"I, uh, I got it from-"

"Where did you find that?" Mom asks angrily. I open my mouth and try to think of a lie to answer her, but I can't. There's no way around it. She knows what I've done.

"I found it in the attic," I confess. Mom looks at me in anger.

"We told you to never go up there!" she shouts. I hang my head.

"I know," I say. "I'm sorry." Mom lets go off me.

"Why did you go into the attic?" she questions.

"It doesn't matter," I tell her.

"Doesn't matter?!" Mom says in disbelief. "We told you not to go up there, and you did it anyways! That matters, Prim!" Without even looking at her I can tell Mom is completely outraged.

"If I told you why...it would ruin everything," I confess.

"What do you mean?" Mom asks in confusion. I sigh and look out the window.

"Prim?" Mom asks. All anger is gone from her voice. Now she is concerned. I look at her with teary eyes.

"I was so selfish..." I whisper. Mom looks at me with knit eyebrows.

"I should've left when he gave me the chance...I should've thought about what you would think. How it would effect you," I say. Mom's eyes widen.

"What did you do?" she questions.

"I lied to you," I confess. "Mr. Swan's lesson yesterday wasn't about economy. Not even close." Mom knits her eyebrows.

"What was it?" Mom asks. I take a shakey breath.

"The 74th Hunger Games," I whisper. Mom's eyes widen and she gets pale. Her lips part slightly in shock. She looks away from me.

"I should've left when Mr. Swan offered. I just wanted to know what you and Dad never told me...but I never thought it would be like that. Seeing you and Dad in so much pain, I-" I stop my sentence. Mom still doesn't look at me.

"I went into the attic because I was curious. You kept that much from me...I just wanted to see what else there was," I confess. "I found a box of Aunt Primrose's things. And I saw Dad's paintings." I look at Mom who seems devastated.

"Don't you think there was a reason we didn't tell you?" Mom questions. "We wanted to protect you...you weren't ready to know yet." There are tears in her eyes. My own tears roll down my cheeks.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper through tears.

"I'm calling your father," Mom says as she gets up and stomps out of the room.

"Mom, wait!" I call after her. "Mom!" Mom slams the door behind her and I bury my face in my pillow.

Dad gets home soon after Mom calls him. I listen to her explain the situation to him. He is silent after Mom is finished talking.

"I just don't understand why he would teach that to children!" Mom says loudly.

"She's fifteen, Katniss," Dad remarks.

"Children, Peeta! They're still kids!" Mom shouts. I listen in suspense, and Dad sighs. They whisper amongst themselves for a while. Suddenly, Dad calls my name.

"Prim! Come down here," he calls. I sigh and slowly walk downstairs. Mom and Dad are sitting at the kitchen table. Dad watches me walk in, but Mom doesn't even look my way.

"Yes, sir?" I ask quietly.

"Your mother and I would like to have a word with you...sit," he commands. I do what I am told and sit directly across the table from my parents. Mom looks at me out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm sorry," I say. "I never should have gone against what you told me and I never should have stayed for the lesson." Dad opens his mouth to speak, but Mom whips her head up at me.

"I really expected better of you, Prim!" she tells me. I look down.

"I know...I'm-"

"Don't you think that we would have told you if you needed to know? You weren't ready! None of you kids should know yet!" she shouts. I am suddenly angry at Mom for yelling.

"I'm ready! It happened to you when you were my age! And don't you think I should know what my own parents have been through?!" I snap. Mom is furious.

"No, you're not!" she shouts.

"Katniss, maybe she has a point," Dad says. Mom turns on him.

"How could you take her side?!" she questions. Dad raises his hands in surrender.

"I'm not! I'm just saying that maybe we should have told them before...I mean, it happened. There's no way of keeping it from them forever," Dad explains. Mom remains angry.

"But look at what it's done to her! She's a mess! She can't hardly sleep because she's having nightmares that I'm shooting her with an arrow!" Mom screams. Her voice echoes throughout the house. Mom huffs and lays her head down on the table.

"Mom," I start to say.

"Go to your room," she orders.

"But-" Mom snaps her head up.

"Just go to your damn room!" she lashes out. I feel the blood drain from my face from surprise. I get up and walk to the staircase, go to my room and close the door. I lay on my bed until dinner, which Mom is absent from. After dinner I go up to my room and lay down until I fall asleep.

Suddenly, I wake up to the sound of screaming. I sit upright in bed, thinking it's my own, but soon realize it is coming from downstairs. The hairs on my neck stand on end as I listen to Mom's screams pierce the air.

In my entire life I've never heard my mother scream like this. I've heard her scream in the night from nightmares caused by her past, but most of the time it is only a small, short yelp. This is entirely different. This scream makes me fear for my own wellbeing. Just listening to it makes me want to run and hide.

Mom's screams turn into loud uncontrollable sobbing. I sit in my bed listening, trying to imagine what is making her act this way. I debate going downstairs to see what's wrong, but I'm afraid I'll only make things worse. I lay down and try to block out the noise, but it's impossible.

Loud footsteps come up the stairs and towards my room. I suddenly fear that there may be an intruder and that's why Mom was screaming. My heart races as I think I may be their next victim.

"Prim!" Dad gasps as he runs into my room. "Come with me." I give him a confused look. He grabs my arm and pulls me out of bed. We walk down the hall and down the stairs. As we get closer Mom sobs grow louder. We enter Mom and Dad's room and I see Mom huddled up in their bed sobbing.

"Katniss. Katniss, look," Dad urges when we walk in. Mom doesn't move. Dad takes me to the edge of the bed.

"Katniss," Dad says again. He sighs and looks at me. I bite my lip.

"Mom?" I whisper. Mom's sobbing suddenly stops. She turns over and looks at me.

"Prim!" she gasps. "Prim!" She pulls me into her arms and sits me in her lap like she did when I was little. She cries and kisses my head several times.

"Mom?" I whisper in confusion. She brushes my hair back.

"I thought I lost you," she tells me. She pulls me back into her arms and rocks me back and forth. I feel tears in my eyes because I can't help but feel like this is my fault.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I'm sorry," I say as a sob escapes me. Mom holds me and Dad sits on the other side of the bed and looks at us.

I stay there for the rest of the night, laying between them. Mom holds my hand and I rest my head on her shoulder. Dad keeps his arm wrapped gently over our shoulders. The three of us fall asleep this way knowing that no matter what happens, we'll always be there for eachother.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I wake up in the morning and see two indentions in the bed on either side of me. Mom and Dad are talking in the kitchen. I sit up, stretch, and walk down the hall to the kitchen.

"Morning," I say as I walk in. Mom and Dad look at me. Mom smiles and walks over.

"I'm sorry about last night," she says as her smile dissapears. "I-"

"Don't apoligize," I tell her. "Don't..." Mom lips form a white line and she looks at me. I start to say something, but she turns around.

"Let's have breakfast," she announces. I nod and look at Dad. He gives me a half grin and sits down.

The three of us eat breakfast together. We talk and laugh as if what happened last night hadn't happened at all. I savor these moments because I know that it may not be like this all the time anymore. Now that I know what I shouldn't know things will always be different.

When we finish breakfast I help Mom with the dishes. Dad sits at the table and talks to us while we work.

"Do you have any plans today, Prim?" Dad asks me. I stop scrubbing the plate. I had planned on going hunting today to help get my mind off things.

"Yeah," I answer. Dad nods.

"What?" Mom questions. I continue scrubbing.

"I was just going to go hang out with some friends," I answer. "I should be meeting them soon." Mom frowns.

"How long will you be out?" she asks. I dry the plate and look at her.

"Not too long. I'll be back probably later this afternoon."

"What are you going to be doing?" Dad asks. I huff. I'm really sick of them interrogating me.

"We're just going to be hanging out," I lie. "Me, Cecilia, and a couple of others." My parents seem satisfied.

"Okay, well, I'm headed to the bakery. I'll see you guys later," Dad announces. He kisses Mom and I on our foreheads and heads out the door.

"Yeah, I should probably get ready to go too," I tell Mom. I put down the towel and go upstairs to change. I dig out my hunting clothes out from the back of my closet and put them on.

"Prim?" Mom calls as I walk downstairs.

"I gotta go, Mom!" I tell her. I run to the door and turn the knob. Mom's footsteps come towards me.

"Prim, wait a second," she commands.

"Bye!" I say as I run out the door so she won't see me in hunting clothes. The summer breeze blows in my face as I jog down the street towards the fence near the woods. The closer I get to the woods the faster I go. I hadn't realized how much I've needed to get away.

When I get to the fence I climb over it and hop down onto unclaimed soil. It doesn't belong to the District or anyone else. It's all mine.

I walk through the trees and retrieve my bow and arrows from a hidden log. I grasp the bow in my hand and sling the quiver of arrows over my shoulder. The mockingjays mimic my tune after I whistle it. I sit and wait for several minutes, but Uncle Gale doesn't come. He must be working in the fields today.

I sigh and get up. Today will be a solo hunting trip, which I don't mind, but it would be nice to have someone to talk to.

I walk silently among the trees searching for my prey. Every now and then I hear a bird flying from one tree to another. After a while of searching I don't see any game worth shooting at.

An hour into my search I hear a strange noise in the distance. It sounds like the low hum of a machine. It sounds like nothing I've heard before. I walk towards it with an arrow drawn on my bowstring just in case. As I walk the humming grows louder. Soon it sounds like it's right above me.

I lift my head up and see a strange looking circular object hanging from a tree branch. It appears to be an odd beehive of some sort. The humming coming from the hive sounds nothing like bees. It is more high pitched and whiny than a bee. It sounds unnatural.

I go to the tree the hive is hanging from and put my hand on the trunk. The noise coming from the hive is mesmerizing. My curiosity about this hive is causing my mind to reel with possibilities.

Suddenly, I am snapped out of my trance when I am aware of something crawling on my hand. I look over and see a strange wasp-like creature making itself comfortable on my index finger. Unsure of whether or not to be afraid or fascinated I sit there and stare at it. The creature buzzes a couple of times and I watch. It hovers off of my hand and flies up to the hive.

Another comes down and flys into my face. I swat at it and it veers off to my right. Above me, the nest erupts into a humming that's even louder than before. Some of the wasps fly down and I gasp as I feel a sharp, agonizing pain in the back of my neck. I shreik and am filled with fear when I realize that the pain had been caused by a sting from one of those wasps.

In panic, I start to run away from the hive and the wasps. Despite this, I still recieve one agonizing sting after another. I run as fast as my legs will allow me and try to elude the wasps that follow. Wasps sting me anywhere they can and I shreik with each painful prick.

Soon, my vision starts to blur and I can't see straight. The forest turns into a kalideascope of trees and I feel as if the world is spinning a hundred miles an hour. I grunt as I run into a tree and stumble as I try making my way around it.

"Prim!" someone's voice echoes. "Prim!" my ears ring as their voice bounces around in my head. I feel another sting on the back of my arm and I fall to the ground. I lay there as the the forest spins around me.

"Prim!" the voice shouts. I feel another sting and my vision blurs again. I suddenly see five Uncle Gales running towards me. He takes me into his arms and runs away from where I was. I hear him grunt as he gets stung, but it is blurred out when I see fire coming towards us. I start to panic as everything around us catches on fire.

"You're just seeing things!" Uncle Gale says once we are out of harms way. He sets me down and my eyes dart around staring at the fire engulfing the forest.

"Look at me! Prim, look at me!" he shouts. I look at his two sets of eyes and see the panic in them. My head falls forward and I moan.

"No. No..." Uncle Gale whispers. He takes me in his arms again and rushes through the fire out of the forest.

"Stay with me," he whispers. "Stay with me." he repeats this as he runs through the streets. People with multiple limbs and heads stare at us as we pass. Uncle Gale runs across streets of sparkling water towards the center of town. He stops in the window of the bakery. An endless kalideascope of bread and pastries spread out before me.

"Peeta! Peeta!" Uncle Gale shouts. At least ten of Dad's heads appear in the window. He is pale with shock and opens his mouth to speak.

"Call Katniss and meet me at the hospital! Now!" Uncle Gale orders. He runs down the street and he pushes the door of the hospital open. What appears to be twenty of the same nurse rushes to us. She shouts to other nurses and they take me into a room.

They lay me down on a bed invested with the wasp creatures. I scream as they try to help me. Outside I hear my mother screaming my name. I call for her, but the nurse tells me to calm down. Fire engulfs the room I'm in and I scream to get out. A nurse sticks a needle into my arm and I feel as if my veins have caught on fire.

"Hold on, sweetheart. You'll be okay," a nurse tells me. My eyes begin to droop and I am consumed by the burning sensation.

"Just hold on," the nurse whispers. Her words echo in my head and I drift out of consciousness.

I wake up in a white room. My eyes adjust to the scene and I feel incredibly lightheaded. There is a bandage on my left arm and I notice that I'm wearing a hospital robe. I turn my head to the right and see Mom, Dad, and Uncle Gale sitting there.

"Nice to see you back among the living, Rosie," Uncle Gale smirks. The three of them stand next to my bed and Mom holds my hand. I look at them and knit my eyebrows.

"How long have I been out?" I ask.

"Three days," Dad tells me. My eyes widen in disbelief. I've been asleep for three days. I sit up and Mom puts her hand on my back for support. I put my face in my hands and shake my head.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Tracker jackers," Uncle Gale answers. "They're wasps genetically altered by the Capitol."

"Gale, we told you they couldn't have been tracker jackers. They were probably just killer bees or something," Mom says in an annoyed tone. Uncle Gale shakes his head and laughs in disbelief.

"How many times do I have to say it, Katniss? I saw them. I even got stung. That and killer bees don't cause hallucinations," he argues. "They were tracker jackers."

"Prim wasn't attacked by tracker-" Uncle Gale cuts Mom off.

"Dammit, I'm telling you you for the last time! Those were tracker jackers!" Uncle Gale tells Mom. Mom bites her lip and looks at me.

"Gale..." Dad says.

"What? She can't just deny it. She knows what happened! Why pretend it didn't? You can't protect her forever, you know," Uncle Gale tells them. "She's gonna leave you at some point."

"Gale!" Mom shouts. "Please...not now."

"Why? Why not now, Katniss? It's gonna happen you might as well face it!" he points out.

"Can't you see that now isn't the time for this?! We just about lost her! You're only making things worse!" Mom yells. Dad tries stopping the arguement.

"Worse?! If it weren't for me she wouldn't be here right now!" Uncle Gale shouts.

"Gale, Katniss stop," Dad begs. Mom pushes past Dad and gets in Uncle Gales face.

"You're right!" she shouts. "She wouldn't be! You're the reason she was out in the woods in the first place! Because of you she went out there to hunt!" I feel like I've been shot. They know now.

"You know?" I ask Mom. Mom turns and her angry expression goes away. She sighs and nods.

"Yes," she answers. I look at Uncle Gale then back at her.

"You're mad...aren't you?" I ask. Mom sighs and shakes her head.

"No...I was. But now I'm just dissapointed." Mom sits down on the bed and looks at me. "All those times you said you were going out with friends or going to study at the library...you were lying so you could go hunt?" I look down.

"I just didn't want you to worry..." I confess. Mom sighs and looks at Uncle Gale who looks away.

"Gale, you're sure they were tracker jackers?" Mom asks. Uncle Gale lifts his head and looks at her. He smiles for some reason.

"Positive," he answers.

"But how? They exterminated all deady Capitol mutts after the War," Dad observes.

"Maybe they missed some," Mom suggests. Uncle Gale shakes his head.

"No. The chemical released was designed to kill every mutt it came in contact with. They even did a check. Everywhere came up negative for Capitol mutts," he explains.

"So, what are you saying?" Mom asks.

"He's saying someone put them there," Dad tells her. "Someone with access to Capitol technology." Mom looks at Dad with concern.

"Who?" she asks.

"Someone who has a job to do..." Uncle Gale says gravely.

"A job? What job?" I question. Uncle Gale looks at me with a strange expression.

"You and I are the only ones that go in those woods," Uncle Gale tells me. "Whoever put those mutts there knows that somehow." Chills run down my back. Mom and Dad look at Uncle Gale.

"Those tracker jackers were supposed to be a trap," Uncle Gale tells us. "A trap meant for Prim." Dad takes Mom's hand and I sit in shock.

"Who would do that? Why would anyone want to hurt her?" Mom asks in a whisper.

"Katniss, think about who you are and who that makes Prim," Uncle Gale says. "She's a perfect target for anyone who wants to get revenge!" Mom bows her head.

"I know..." she whispers. Dad holds her in an embrace and Uncle Gale watches uncomfortably. I stare at the wall in disbelief. _I'm a target..._

"I think I'll go home," Uncle Gale says. He leaves the room and Mom comes to me. She hugs me and I feel tears come to my eyes.

"Mom...are they after me?" I ask. Mom holds the back of my head.

"I don't know, sweetie. I don't know," she answers. Tears roll down my cheeks and I bury my face in her shoulder. She rubs my back and Dad hugs both of us.

"Prim, I promise...they'll have to go through me before they can even think about getting to you. Do you understand that? I'd die before I'd let anyone hurt you," Mom tells me. A sob escapes me and Mom holds me in her embrace.

I stay in the hospital another night so they can be sure I'm stable, then they send me home the next morning. We spend the next few weeks in caution. Mom and Dad keep a watchful eye on me and I'm no longer allowed in the woods. I know it's for my own good, but I miss my freedom.

"Prim, I need you to help me in the bakery today," Dad tells me one morning.

"Okay, sure," I say. When we finish breakfast, I walk with him through the streets to the bakery. People smile and wave to us as we pass. When we arrive at the bakery Dad tosses me a flour and icing stained apron.

"The decorator's off today, so it's just us," he tells me. I put on the apron and tie the string.

"You start decorating those cakes over there, okay?" Dad orders.

"Okay, what do you want them to look like?" I ask. Dad shrugs.

"Be creative. If there's one thing you got from me it's decorating cakes," Dad says with a wink.

"Well, someone has to make up for Finnick's lack of talent," I joke. We both laugh and get to work. I spend the morning decorating dozens of cakes. I put on flowers and other designs. People walk in and compliment me on my work.

"Thanks," I tell one lady as she comments on one of my icing flowers. I sell her the cake and she leaves happily.

"Well, look at you," Dad says as he comes over to me. "You're selling more cakes than my usual decorator."

"Well, I am your daughter," I shrug. Dad laughs.

"Maybe you should work in here more often," he says. I smile and nod.

"I'm going to get us something for lunch. You're in charge while I'm gone," Dad says as he takes off his apron.

"Okay," I say. "I can handle it." Dad kisses my forehead and walks out the door. I am left in the bakery alone and the only sound is the oven humming. I pipe on icing and notice someone outside. A boy stands across the street and watches me through the window. He has dark hair and eyes; I can tell he is from The Seam.

I try ignoring him, but he stays. Finally, I look up and give him a grin. I put the last bits of icing on the cake and put the finished product in the display window. The boy watches me and his eyes stay locked on the cake. He crosses the street and looks in the display window. He's muscular, but his torso and cheeks look hollow. I can tell he's very hungry.

He looks up at me and I am caught by surprise. His expression looks desparate. We look at eachother for a moment until man pushes past him and walks in the bakery. I avert my attention from the boy to the customer.

"How can I help you, sir?" I ask with a smile. The man talks, but I find my attention going back to the boy at the window.

"Hello?" the man asks with a laugh. I snap out of it.

"Sorry! What was that?" I ask.

"A loaf of whole wheat, a loaf of white, and...give me one of those cakes," the man says.

"Coming right up," I say as I gather what he needs. I bag the loaves of bread and hand him a cake.

"Thanks for your buissness," I say.

"Not a problem," the man answers. He takes his bread and cake and walks out the door. I look out the window and see that the boy is gone. I turn back to the cakes and continue icing.

"Excuse me," someone says. I lift my head and am shocked to see the boy standing there. I put down the icing knife.

"Yeah, what do you need?" I ask him. The boy digs into his pockets. I go to the counter as he sets down a small amount of money.

"What can I get with this?" he asks. I count up the money and frown.

"That's not enough to buy even a small loaf," I tell him. The boy rubs his temples.

"Please, can you make an exception? I'll take anything, even the burnt scraps from the oven! Please..." he begs. I feel terrible for this boy. I look at his hollow cheeks.

"Sure," I say.

"Thank you," the boy gasps. I turn and grab a loaf of bread. I even grab another small one for him. I drop the loaves in a bag and hand them to him. He starts to hand me the money.

"No," I say. "Keep it. It's your's."

"But I can't just take all of this without giving you something," he says. I turn and start icing the cake again.

"Then consider a gift," I tell him. The boy stands in silence at the counter for a moment. I look at him.

"My father will be back any minute. You should go," I tell him. The boy nods and heads out the door. I turn back to my cake. The boy stops in the doorway.

"Thank you, Prim," he says. I look up, shocked that he knows my name. Before I can ask how he knew me he runs out of the shop and down the street. I stand there staring out the window until the sound of Dad coming in snaps me out of it. I start icing the cake again to seem like I've been busy.

"Well, I've got lunch," Dad says with a smile. He drops two paper bags on the table and we sit down to eat.

"Any customers while I was out?" he asks.

"A couple," I answer. "A man and someone from The Seam." Dad raises his eyebrows.

"Oh, well, it's good you made some sales," he tells me. I look down at my lunch.

"Yeah...I guess it is," I say. We eat lunch and get back to work. We work all the rest of the afternoon. I continue to decorate cakes, but my thoughts keep going back to the boy at the window. I can't help but wonder if what I gave him was enough.

Dad and I close up the bakery early that evening. We gather the leftover bread and pastries from today and put them in a bag to take home. I take off my apron and hang it on the peg on the back door. Dad does the same and we head home.

As we walk we talk about little things. We talk about the summer, Finnick on his trip, and finally Dad smiles.

"I really enjoyed having you here today, Prim. It's been a while since we've just had our own time together, and I didn't realize how much I've missed it until today," he tells me. I smile.

"I had fun," I say. Dad gives me a quick one armed hug as we walk. I smile and we continue our walk home.

When we get home Mom already has dinner ready for us. I help her set the table and she serves our dinner onto three plates. We sit down and begin eating.

"So, how was work?" Mom asks me.

"It was good," I answer.

"People were raving over the cakes she decorated," Dad tells Mom. "At least she got one thing from me." Mom laughs and smiles at me.

"Any interesting customers?" she asks. Immediately, my thoughts go to the boy at the window.

"No," I lie. "Just a normal day." We talk about what the three of us did that day as we finish dinner. During the whole conversation my thoughts drift off to the boy. I feel stupid for not asking for his name. Maybe then I'd know how he knew me.

A few days go by and I can't stop thinking about the boy at the window. The thought that I didn't give him enough food constantly bothers me. I volunteer to work at the bakery with Dad everyday just to see if he comes. Of course, he doesn't.

One night, after a long day of working at the bakery, Mom, Dad, and I watch TV together. The three of us sit on the couch while we watch our favorite show. Suddenly, the signal is inturrupted and words flash on the screen.

"Breaking News?" Dad reads. I look at my parents who look at the screen in confusion.

"Breaking News, Panem. I'm Rory Mayberry here to give you the latest," says the nightly news anchorman. For as long as I can remember I've always been annoyed by this man.

"We've just recieved reports of unidentified hovercraft flying over Panem. We aren't sure where they're coming from or where they're going. Authorities say it's probably a test run by District Three who could possibly be testing new technology for transportation by hovercraft. Until we can be sure, you are advised to stay cautious and indoors if possible. I'm Rory Mayberry, giving you breaking news. Stay tuned for the latest, Panem." Commercials flash on the screen. I am completely confused.

"I don't understand...What's the big deal?" I ask. Dad sighs.

"They don't know who these hovercraft belong to, Prim. They can't contact them and they have no idea how to identify them. If those things are flying to the Districts, it's a pretty big deal," he explains. I look at my parents, and Mom looks extremely worried.

"What should we do?" I ask.

"You go to bed. Peeta and I will stay here and keep up with things. If anything happens we'll come get you," Mom tells me. I nod and get up off the couch.

"Goodnight," I say. Mom and Dad tell me goodnight and I go up to my room. As I put on my pajamas I hear Dad talking to Finnick and the people he's staying with. I listen carefully, just out of curiosity. Dad hangs up.

"They said that they'll be fine, but if anything happens they'll call us," he tells Mom. Suddenly, I realize how serious the situation is. I lay down in bed on my side and look at the moon shining in through my window. I wonder if anyone else's parents are as worried as mine.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Wake up. Prim, wake up," Dad urges as he gently nudges me. I open my eyes and look at him.

"What?" I ask.

"Get dressed and come downstairs," he orders. "And put on a jacket." I groggily sit up and stretch.

"Hurry!" he commands. I get out of bed and Dad leaves the room. I put on pants and a shirt, then pull on a jacket and my shoes. On my way downstairs I hear Mom, Dad, and Uncle Gale talking.

"What's Uncle Gale doing here?" I ask. They all shush me and look at the TV.

"What's-?" They shush me again and I turn my attention to the TV as well.

"District's One, Two, Three, Five, Seven, and Ten all have confirmed attacks," the news anchor says. My heart leaps.

"What?" I say in a shocked whisper.

"We predict the attackers will be upon the remaining Districts momentarily, considering they are striking several Districts at once," the anchor explains. "We advise that you seek shelter immediately or find a way to evacuate to a safer place."

"Mom," I say in fear. I turn and look at my parents and Uncle Gale.

"Let's go," Uncle Gale says. Mom goes off to her room and comes back with a bow and quiver of arrows.

"Just in case," she whispers. She takes my hand and we go outside. The crisp night air chills me and I shiver.

"It's almost completely silent," Dad observes.

"It's the calm before the storm," Uncle Gale tells us. "We need to get as far away as possible. Our best bet is the woods."

"But the only way there is through downtown and that's the worst place to be going through," Mom points out.

"I know, but it's the only way," Uncle Gale says.

"Gale," Mom says shakily. Uncle Gale sighs.

"We'll be fine," he assures us. "Now, follow me." We walk down the empty streets and jump at any noise we hear. Mom holds my hand tight. I know she's scared, but she won't dare show it.

Suddenly, we hear a loud humming in the distance. We all stop in our tracks and listen to it.

"They're here..." Uncle Gale whispers as he looks up at the sky. I move closer to Mom and she wraps her arms around me.

The humming gets lower and slower. Then it stops completely.

"They've landed," Unce Gale whispers. My heart rate grows faster and we listen to the silence. Suddenly, we hear someone scream in the distance and I jump. There are sounds of chaos now coming from everywhere. It is so loud I can barely hear Uncle Gale telling us to keep moving.

As we near downtown Mom squeezes my hand and passes it to Dad so she can load her bow with an arrow. She takes position up front and I fear for her.

When we reach the point of chaos Dad holds my hand with a strong but secure grip. People are screaming all around us. I even hear screams coming from back where our house is. My heart races and fear builds inside me because I haven't seen any attackers. I've only heard the chaos they're causing.

"There they are!" a man shouts. We turn and see a man in a white uniform pointing at us.

"Run!" Uncle Gale shouts. We all break into a run and the men in white follow us. They push down innocent people just to keep up with us. Dad pulls me along as he keeps his iron grip on my hand.

"Don't lose them!" one man orders. We continue running and the men start catching up. I look behind me and one man grabs my hand. I scream as he tries yanking me away from Dad.

"Don't touch her!" Dad yells. He hits the man in the face and I watch as the man falls to his knees. Dad pulls me up and we keep running.

The men keep after us and soon I see the fence in the distance. My legs are exhausted from running and I gasp from lack of breath.

"We're gonna have to jump the fence!" Uncle Gale shouts. Dad let's go of my hand so we both have our hands free. Mom jumps first, then Uncle Gale, then Dad.

I reach the fence and the men are right behind me. I hop up and pull my legs over one man runs into the fence and attempts grabbing my leg. He fails because the impact makes me fall off the fence. I land on the side of my foot and hear my ankle snap. I cry out in pain and crumble to the ground holding my ankle.

"Prim!" Mom screams. One man hops right over the fence and lands beside me. I look at him with teary eyes as he makes his way to me. He suddenly cries out as an arrow enters his throat. I watch in horror as his knees buckle and he falls to the ground next to me.

"Prim!" Dad shouts as he runs over. I look at Mom who is lowering her bow. Dad scoops me into his arms and runs back to Mom and Uncle Gale. He follows them through the woods as we look for a safe place to hide. We find a place among a pile of rocks. Dad lays me down gently and I whimper from pain.

"Prim, honey, what did he do to you?" Mom asks as she hugs me.

"It wasn't them! I broke my ankle when I fell!" I tell her. Mom looks at my ankle which is twisted at an odd angle. Her hands shake as shelooks at it.

"Oh, God! Oh, my...Peeta." Mom whispers. Dad hugs her and she hides her face in his shoulder.

"What's gonna happen to us?" I ask through tears. Mom turns back to me and caresses my face with her hand.

"Don't worry...we'll get out of this. I know we will," she assures me. She looks at Uncle Gale who is keeping watch. He has one of the bow and arrows we keep hidden in the woods on his lap.

"Gale?" she asks.

"We're gonna need a plan of some kind," he says. "We're obviously their main priority." Mom and Dad look at eachother. Dad nods and Mom looks at me.

"They want Peeta and I...they want revenge," she whispers. Uncle Gale nods.

"You're right," he agrees. He turns to look at them.

"Peeta and I will go out and see if we can distract them long enough for you to get Prim to safety. Maybe we can meet you there..." Mom tells him gravely. I look at my parents in disbelief.

"No...no! You can't! You'll be killed!" I tell them.

"We know," Mom says. Tears roll down my cheeks.

"You can't do this...you can't," I beg. Mom squats next to me.

"We have to...if it's not us, then it's you. I don't want that to happen," she tells me. "I love you." She kisses my head and Dad does the same. They get up to leave and start walking away.

"No!" I shout. "No!" I struggle to get up on my broken ankle, but I do and manage to limp towards them. "Don't go!" I scream.

Uncle Gale comes and picks me up. I look at Mom and Dad from over my shoulder as Uncle Gale walks away.

"Don't leave me!" I scream through tears. "Don't go!" Tear roll down Mom's cheeks and she bites her lip. Dad puts his hand on her shoulder. They wave to me and walk away into the trees. I scream as I see them go. Uncle Gale takes me farther away into the woods and clamps his hand over my mouth.

"Do you want them to hear you?!" he whispers harshly.

"What does it matter?! Mom and Dad are going to die!" I cry. Uncle Gale winces.

"You don't know that! Now be quiet before you get us noticed!" he orders. I cry silently as he keeps watch on the forest around us. In the distance I hear shouting.

"Peeta!" Mom screams. I start to shriek as well, but Uncle Gale puts his hand over my mouth. He puts a finger to his lips and we listen.

"Katniss!" Dad yells. "Katniss, I'm coming!" Uncle Gale's eyes widen.

"Katniss is in trouble," he says gravely. I whimper and he takes his hand away from my mouth. "I'm going to help them."

"You can't go too," I beg.

"I do if you want your parents to make it," he tells me.

"But-" Uncle Gale inturrupts me by handing me the bow and arrows he had.

"Use it if you have to," he orders.

"But I can't-"

"Prim, listen to me. That bow is going to be the only thing protecting you while I'm gone. I don't care what you feel, if they come you shoot. Do you understand?" Uncle Gale explains.

"How can you just ask me to kill someone?" I ask.

"You're a hunter," he tells me. "You kill all the time."

"Yeah, animals," I say.

"People aren't any different," he says as he rises. "At least not now."

"Please, don't leave me alone," I beg him. He sighs.

"Be careful, Prim. And remember what I told you. You better use that bow," he says. He runs off and dissapears among the trees.

I am left alone in the dark and silence. The empty feeling I am left with is driving me mad. My ankle is throbbing, but it is nothing compared to the pain I feel in my heart. I could lose all the people I care about most in one night, and that realization is unbearable.

I jump when I hear movement to my right. When I see that it's only a raccoon I sigh in relief. The animal sits a few feet in front of me an cleans its face. I wonder how it could possibly do this when my family is probably dying somewhere close by.

The raccoon freezes in it's tracks and suddenly darts away. I look around and wonder what caused the creature to do this. I look in the direction it came from and the direction it ran to. I turn my head and jump when I see a man in white grinning at me.

"Hey there," he says. "You sure have caused a lot of trouble, missy." I take an arrow, load my bow, and aim the point right at him. The man chuckles meanly.

"Well, aren't you your mother's daughter?" he observes. I keeps a straight face and keep the arrow pointed at him.

"Go ahead. Shoot me. I'd love to see you try," he taunts. "Go on! Make your mother proud! Shoot me!" he shouts this time. Pain shoots up my legs and I wince. The man looks at my ankle.

"I was wondering why you weren't running," he smirks. He takes out a tazer gun. "It's your last chance. Shoot me." I take a deep breath.

"Go on. Do it. I know you can. Just do it," the man taunts. I close my eyes and just about when I let the arrow loose I hear him cry out. I open my eyes and see an arrow in his shoulder. At first I am confused because I never shot my arrow. Then it all makes sense when I hear Mom's voice.

"Prim!" she shouts. Her, Dad, and Uncle Gale run to me. All three of them look pretty beaten up. The man pulls the arrow out of his shoulder and pulls out a radio. He utters something into it and smiles. Mom points and arrow at him.

"You think you've won haven't you?" the man gasps. "You think it's over, that we've given up? Well, you're wrong!" We hear the low roar of a hovercraft and the trees sway as the air it produces makes them dance.

"What do you want?" Mom demands him to answer.

"Revenge," the man answers. "The Capitol may have been brought down, but a new empire has risen from it's ashes!" I look at Mom, Dad, and Uncle Gale. The hovercraft gets closer.

"There's no way for you to escape our wrath. No matter where you go we'll find you. We will make you, all of you, pay. Even her," the man says as he nods to me.

"Each one of you has a price to pay and we're gonna make damn sure you pay it!" the man laughs. Mom lets go of her arrow and it kills the man right there. I look at her in shock.

"We need to get out of here! Now!" Mom shouts. Dad starts to take me into his arms, but stops when the leaves on the forest floor start swirling around. A bright light floods the space we are in, causing us all to squint. We all look up at the huge silver object hovering above us.

Ladders drop and men in white slide down them. Mom loads her bow.

"Get Prim out of here!" she shouts. Dad tries picking me up, but a man in white tazes him. I scream as Dad falls to the ground groaning. A man in white lunges for me, but Uncle Gale tackles him and the two of them struggle.

"Prim, try to run!" Uncle Gale grunts. "Go!" I attempt getting up and eventually manage to do so while Mom and Uncle Gale hold off the men. Several fall victim to Mom's arrows while Uncle Gale forces them back.

"Prim, run!" Mom screams. I step forward and start limping away from the scene. I am stopped when a man jumps from behind a tree and grabs my arms. I scream as I struggle against him.

"Prim!" Mom shouts as she points an arrow at the man.

"Stop!" the man shouts as he holds me in front of him like a shield. "Wouldn't want to accidentally hurt your little girl, now would you?"

"Let me go!" I gasp as I struggle against him. The man keeps his grip. Mom keeps the arrow aimed at the man.

"I don't think you realize how easily I could kill her with just one turn of the head. Then it'd all be over..." the man says. He puts both hands on either side of my head and I squeal.

"No!" Mom shouts. "No, please!" She slowly lowers her bow and the man nods.

"That's better," he says.

"Let her go," Mom begs. "Please, I'll even go with you, just let my daughter go!" the man laughs.

"You think we came for you?" he chuckles. "No way. You're right about this being for revenge, but we don't want to use you directly." The man starts to slowly move towards the ladder with my head still between his hands. Mom's eyes widen.

"No!" Mom shrieks. "Please! I'll do anything!" I look at Dad who is struggling to stand up.

"We know you would...that's why she's coming with us," the man says.

"No!" Mom cries. "Don't take her! Don't take her away from me!" The man smirks as tears roll down Mom's cheeks. Fear consumes me and tears fill my eyes as well.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll see her soon..." the man assures Mom cruelly. He walks faster towards the ladder and Uncle Gale advances towards us. The man squeezes my head between his hands and I whimper from pain.

"Not a good idea," he says. Uncle Gale stops in his track and the man loosens his grip. Mom watches as the man grabs the rung of the ladder.

"Prim," she chokes. "Prim!"

"Mom!" I scream. "Mom!" The ladder lifts us up into the hovercraft. When we are inside I hear Mom screaming my name hystarically. I struggle against them men that restrain me to a metal table. They inject me with some sort of shot and lock me into a safety belt in a strange chair.

After the injection my head feels heavy and my eyes droopy. Mom's screams are drained out buy the sound of the hovercraft's engine. I struggle to keep my eyes open, but the medicine is too strong. My eyes close and I am out cold.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

My eyes flutter open and adjust to the light. I register my surroundings and sit up in shock. The bed I lay in is unfamiliar, and the decor of the small room around me is so foreign. I jump out of bed, completely disoriented, and set my eyes on a window. Looking outside, I see that I am in motion. Trees blur past as if we are moving hundreds of miles an hour.

My breathing grows shallow and the events of the night before flood my memory. I remember my adrenaline pumping as I ran for my life, the fear caused by the men in white, and Mom screaming my name as I was taken away.

Suddenly, I am shocked to see I am standing. I reach down for my ankle and see that it's completely fine. It looks as if there was no harm done to it at all. I put my hands to my temples and try to calm myself down. _I'm a prisoner..._I think. _I'm trapped here..._

I turn around and see a large metal door. I walk to it and jump back when it slides open on its own. The fact that the door isn't locked shocks me. I go out the door and turn my head both ways. To my right is more doors leading to other rooms. To my left is another door leading to a connector to another compartment. I realize that I'm on a train.

My stomach growls and I go left. When I enter the next cart I am shocked at what I find. There's one table overflowing with any kind of food you could think of. I don't think I've ever seen so much food in one place. I look around the cart and see no one. Hesitantly, I grab a plate and reach for a breakfast pastry.

"Go ahead! Take what you want!" I hear a woman with a strange accent say. Surprised by the sudden noise, I jump and nearly drop my plate. I turn and see a bizarrely dressed woman standing before me.

"Oh! I didn't mean to startle you!" she laughs. I look at her without saying a word. The woman gestures to the table.

"Well? Aren't you hungry?" she asks me. I turn to the table and knit my eyebrows.

"Am I allowed to?" I ask. The woman bursts into laughter. I look at her in confusion because I don't see what's so funny.

"Allowed? Why wouldn't you be allowed to eat?" she asks through laughter.

"I'm a prisoner...aren't I?" I say. The woman's eyes widen. I stare at her feather eyelashes.

"Prisoner? Absolutely not, dear! You're an honored guest!" she says as if the mere thought of me as a prisoner was ridiculous.

"But you took me away from home...I was kidnapped by these men in white! I-!" the woman cuts me off.

"Oh, someone must've had a bad night's sleep last night. Have some breakfast, dear, it will be good for you," she tells me. I look at her in disbelief.

"Go on! Eat up!" she beams. I turn to the table and take what I want to eat. I grab some fruit, a pastry, two dinner rolls, and a mug of hot chocolate. The dinner rolls and hot chocolate remind me of home. During the winter we'd eat the leftover rolls from the bakery with hot chocolate around the fireplace. I feel a lump in the back of my throat and I bite my lip.

The woman goes to the buffet table after me and we both sit at an expensive looking dining table. I stab a strawberry with my fork and see her smiling at me out of the corner of my eye.

"Who are you?" I ask as I snap my head up.

"I beg your pardon! I forgot to introduce myself!" the woman apologizes. "My name's Lucia. Lucia Delly." I nod and figure I should tell her my name too.

"I'm Prim," I mumble. The woman nods.

"It's a pleasure," she beams. I nod and tear a piece of my dinner roll off.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"The New Capitol, of course!" Lucia beams. I look at her in confusion. I've never heard of this place, but it's name gives me chills.

"Where's that?" I question.

"Oh, it's a wonderful city! I'm sure that once you get there you won't want to leave!" she explains. I scoff and dunk my roll in my hot chocolate. She never really answered my question.

Lucia and I sit in uncomfortable silence for several minutes. I eat angrily and Lucia looks over her shoulders.

"I wonder where the others are?" she asks rhetorically. I don't look up.

"I'll go find them," she announces as she stands up. Lucia leaves the cart and I am left alone. I set my fork down and dab my mouth with my napkin. Outside the trees whiz by. I look out the window and watch them pass. I wonder how far from home I am. I wonder what Mom and Dad are doing...what they're thinking. Most of all, I hope they're okay.

"Here's one!" Lucia beams as I hear the door slide open. She walks in and I hear someone else behind her. I don't bother to turn around.

"Now, Prim, don't be rude! Say hello!" Lucia urges me. I huff and slowly turn. I start to speak, but shock stops me.

"Well?" Lucia asks. "Come on, introduce yourselves!" I am still too shocked to speak. Standing before me is the boy I saw at the window a few days earlier. He extends his hand to me.

"I'm Chander," he tells me as we shake hands. I swallow my shock and start to speak.

"Prim," I say. He lets go of my hand and nods.

"I know." We look at each other for a few moments in silence. Finally, Lucia eases the awkwardness.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, Chander why don't you get something to eat?" she suggests. "I'll go see if Roshon is coming."

Lucia leaves as Chander gets a plate at the buffet table. I watch as he piles his plate with food. Suddenly, he speaks.

"Are you just as clueless as I am?" he asks. He turns and sits at the table.

"What do you mean?" I question.

"Why we're here? Do you know?" he asks. I shake my head and look down. He sighs and shakes his head.

"They invade our home...take us away, and they don't even tell us why," he scoffs. I am silent. I don't know what to say. Chander eats and I sit in a chair next to the window. Just then, the door slides open and Lucia walks in with a tired looking man walking behind.

"Here he is. Here he is," Lucia announces assuringly. I watch as the man staggers in and plops down on the couch across from me. Chander finishes his breakfast surprisingly fast and sits in another chair.

"Well, well..." the man says with a smirk. "Would you look at you two."

"This is Roshon, by the way. He's a part of our team," Lucia beams. Before I can ask what "team" refers to the man scoffs.

"Team..." he grunts. "Not these two. Not yet." He looks at Chander. "What's your name, son?"

"Chander," Chander answers. The man nods and turns his attention to me.

"And who are you? Panem's Sweetheart?" he laughs. I knit my eyebrows. I'm not sure if I should be offended or not.

"No, my name's-" the man cuts me off.

"Primrose Mellark, I know. Everyone knows who you are, sweetheart," he says.

"Don't call me that," I tell him. The man sits up.

"I'll call you whatever I want. As long as you're here, I'm in charge of everything the two of you do," he says as he points at Chander and I. "Where are the drinks?" he asks as he gets up.

"Who are you?" I ask in disgust.

"Roshon Pruitt, isn't that what our dearest Lucia told you?" he asks sarcastically.

"I meant why are you here?" I tell him. He chuckles.

"I'm here to be your mentor, sweetheart," he laughs. My eyes widen.

"Mentor? What do you mean? Why?" Chander asks.

"You mean you didn't tell them?" Roshon asks Lucia.

"I figured they knew!" Lucia tells him. I look between the two of them.

"Knew what? What should we know?" I ask in a shaky voice. Lucia smiles.

"You and Chander have been given the honor of representing your district in the 76th Hunger Games!" she beams. I feels all the blood drain from my face. I grip the arm of the chair for support as I feel myself swaying.

"What?" Chander asks as he looks at me.

"It's going to be wonderful!" Lucia beams. She goes on into a long explanation about bringing back the "glorious" tradition, but I can't hear her. All I'm aware of are my own tortured thoughts.

"Excuse me," I choke. I get up and go back to the room I woke up in. I sit on the bed and press my palms against my forehead. My breathing is shaky and panic rises within me. Two words haunt my thoughts and drive me mad..._Hunger Games._

Finally, I can't take it anymore and tears spill over onto my cheeks. I bury my face into my pillow and cry my eyes out. When I was kidnapped I imagined all kinds of things that could happen to me, but not one of them was even close to the horrifying reality. I wonder what's to come, and how I'll cope, if I can that is.

I cry for hours until I feel like I have no tears left to shed. My pillow is soaked from me letting out all of my anger and grief into it. I place my hand on the pillow and stare at it for a moment. Suddenly, there is a knock on my door.

"Prim! Come on! We're here!" Lucia beckons. I wipe my eyes and join the others back in the dining cart.

"There it is..." Chander whispers as he looks out the window. I peer outside and see a magnificent silver city. It's buildings glisten in the sunlight and they spread around for miles.

"It's incredible," Chander says with a smile. I turn away from the window as we go through a tunnel. There is a loud roar at the end of it and I begin to fear for what's at the end. When we reach it I see hundreds of strange people cheering and craning to get a glimpse at the train. Chander smiles and waves. He laughs.

"They love it!" he exclaims. "Prim, come on!" I don't look at him. He looks back at me.

"Come on, they'll love you!" he tells me. I slowly walk up to the window and the crowd erupts into a frenzy. People wave at me and scream my name. Complete strangers are going crazy for me. I can't help but smile and wave back at them.

We get off the train and get into an odd looking car. We ride through the city and I stare at the strange styles and architecture. I never imagined a culture so bizarre.

"Here you are!" Lucia beams as we stop outside a large building.

"What is this place?" I ask as I look at it's magnificent doors.

"This is where you'll get cleaned up for the cameras," Roshon tells Chander and I. "Your stylists will take good care of you. You do everything they say, understand?" We nod.

"We'll see you in a few hours," Roshon tells us. People in strange outfits usher us out of the car and escort us inside the building. Chander and I are separated and we go into different areas.

I am suddenly surrounded by strange looking people who shamelessly strip me of my clothes and put me in a blue plastic gown. I cover myself in shock and they lay me down on a table. They tweeze, pluck, and wax every stray hair off of my body. I bite my lip from pain each time they rip the hot wax off of me. After that, I am submerged in a steaming bath that smells like flowers, then they take me out and magically erase all of my blemishes.

"What?" I ask my prep team as I hear them whispering.

"Oh, we were just saying it's time for you to see Chord," one answers me. They take me into a closed room and lay me on another table.

"Wait here. Chord will be right with you," they instruct me. I nod and lay down. While I wait I let my mind wander. Obviously, my thoughts drift to my family and I force myself to stop. _No..._I think. _I'm not going to do this..._

The door slides open and a tall, extravagantly dressed man walks in. I sit up and look at him.

"I'm sorry," he says. I knit my eyebrows.

"For what?" I ask.

"All of this...it shouldn't be happening to you. It's not right," he tells me. I scoff.

"At least I'm not the only one who thinks that," I say.

"You're not," he informs me. "I'm Chord by the way."

"Prim," I tell him. Chord smiles.

"Yeah, I know," he answers. I grin and look down.

"Apparently everyone does," I say. Chord laughs.

"So, if you didn't already know I'm your head stylist," he tells me. "Tonight's a big night. The Tribute Parade...it's when we get to show you off to the world." I make a face.

"So, you're going to make me look pretty?" I ask.

"You're already beautiful, Prim," he tells me. "I'm going to make you look even more memorable than you already are." I blush and smile into my lap.

"How?" I ask. He smiles.

"I've got something special in mind. I think you'll like it. The idea behind the parade is to dress the tributes on clothes from their district," Chord explains.

"Like what?" I ask.

"What's from you district? Coal?" Chord asks.

"Well, it used to, but now-" Chord cuts me off.

"I know, I know. We're sticking with the old times...at least that's what we were told to do." I look at Chord with knit eyebrows and he starts getting me ready for the parade.

I stand by a black chariot fastened to black horses. I wear a short black dress and my dark hair falls over my shoulders in soft waves. Chord put black pencil around my eyes and lip gloss to make my lips shimmer. Even my high heels are black. I feel plain compared to other tributes who have on extremely fancy costumes. Some even wear armor.

Chander walks over and his eyes widen when he sees me. He is wearing all black as well. Black shoes, black pants, black dress shirt, and black tie. He looks at me from head to toe.

"Wow," he says. "You look...great." He grins and puts his hands in his pockets.

"Thanks. You too," I answer. Chord comes over and smiles.

"You both look fantastic," he compliments. Chander and I nod. Lucia clicks over in her heels.

"Have you seen the other tributes? We look so...plain compared to them!" she says as calmly as possible, but I can tell she's about to have a meltdown. Chord sighs.

"Lucia, don't worry. I have this under control, just trust me," he assures her. Roshon walks over and looks at the two of us.

"Good luck getting sponsors in that outfit. Looks like Chord's been slacking," he scoffs.

"Would you all just trust me?" Chord asks. He looks at me and I nod. The other tributes start getting in their chariots and Chander and I do the same. Chord looks at us and smiles.

"I promise they'll love you," he smiles. "Whatever happens just trust me." I nod and turn my head just as the first chariot leaves. The crowd roars and pretty soon it's our turn to go.

The chariot pulls out and people cheer. The announcers talk up in their booth.

"Now, this isn't what I expected from District Twelve. In fact, they seem a little...average if you know what I mean," one observes.

"I agree completely, Felix." He pauses. "Wait...Look at that!" the other announcer shouts. The crowd bursts into a frenzy and I look around to see why. Chander is staring at me and I look down. My dress is on fire.

I start to panic, thinking that I'm going to burn to death right here in front of thousands of people. The fire spreads and forms what appears to be a longer dress over my short one. To my surprise I don't feel a thing. _Just trust me.._.Chord's words echo in my head. This was part of his plan all along.

Fire catches onto Chander's shirt and parts of his outfit burst into flames. Even parts of the chariot are blazing with Chord's magical flames. I smile and wave at the people. Suddenly, I see an image of myself on a large screen. My eyes are vibrantly blue and the reflection from the fire makes them twinkle. I also never realized what a nice smile I have. Flames dance around my face and I smile even bigger. I look stunning. I'm shining brighter than the sun.

"We should hold hands," Chander suggests.

"What?" I ask as if it's absurd.

"They'll love it! Just hold our hands up...come on trust me!" Before I can object, Chander takes my hand and holds it up high. The flames on our arms join and the crowd roars. The announcers rave over it.

The chariots pull into the circle before a balcony overlooking all of the chaos. The flames on the chariot and on Chander's clothes retract back to my dress and go out all at once in one dramatic moment. The crowd cheers. I look down and see that my dress still glows softly like an ember in a dying fire. A man stands at the edge of the balcony and looks down at all the tributes.

"Welcome," he greets us. "Tributes, we all welcome you." The screen shows all of the tributes and stops on Chander and I. We are getting a majority of the screen time; I look at us on-screen and see us still holding hands. The light from my dress casts a soft glow onto my face.

"We admire your courage, and your sacrifice." the man continues. "We wish you a happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor." The crowd cheers and the chariots take us into a large tower. Chander and I are greeted by our prep teams, Chord, Lucia, and Roshon.

"Oooo! That was incredible! " Lucia squeals. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you Chord!" Chord laughs as he helps me down from the chariot. He takes me by the shoulders and looks at me and Chander.

"You two were spectacular," he tells us. Chander shakes his head.

"I didn't do anything. Prim was all anyone was looking at," he says. "She looks beautiful." Chander gives me a sweet, shy smile that would make any girl, even me, feel warm inside. I almost give into his charm, but sudden thoughts enter my mind. _He'll only betray you..._I think. _Once he gains your trust he'll turn on you. _

I decide that I'm right and am ashamed to think I almost fell for it. _Two can play that..._I think.

"Chander you look handsome too," I assure him with a grim. Chander shakes his head.

"No...no I don't," he dismisses. I go over and kiss his cheek.

"Sure you do," I tell him. Chander's cheeks turn pink and his mouth forms an "o" shape. I flash him a smile and start to walk away towards the elevator. All eyes are on me and my still glowing dress as I walk away.

We arrive in the penthouse and Lucia gives us the grand tour. I marvel at all the expensive decorations and wonder about the strange tastes of the people here.

"Why don't you all tidy up a bit before dinner?" Lucia suggests to Chander and I. I go to my room and change into one of the outfits that was already in the dresser for me. Once I'm dressed, I go into the dining room and join the others for dinner.

On the dining room table there is enough food to feed all the people in District 12. I look at the various dishes and can't even name a lot of them. I can't imagine all of us eating all of this. I find a dish of lamb stew and put it onto my plate. Taking a bite, I realize that it tastes a lot like Mom's. I am suddenly overwhelmed with homesickness.

Conversation carries on at the dinner table, but I focus on my stew. My thoughts wander and I vaguely hear the conversation drift to the Parade. I am suddenly aware of all eyes on me. I bring my head up slowly.

"Who's idea was it, darling?" Lucia asks. I knit my eyebrows.

"What?" I question.

"Holding hands, of course!" she exclaims. I look at Chander.

"Chord told me to do it," he says. I look at Chord.

"Wonderful idea, Chord!" Lucia beams.

"Well, it worked before," Chord says. "For past tributes from this district." He looks at me and I stare back at him for a moment. Lucia orders desert and I look back down at my stew.

After dinner we all sit in the living room and watch a replay of the Parade. I notice that Chander and I absolutely stole the show. My heart stops when my dress bursts into flames. I stare at the blazing creature and wonder how that's me on the screen.

"Oh, and just think! Not only was this broadcast to the New Capitol, but to the districts as well!" Lucia beams. I look at her.

"Districts? You mean...everyone saw this?" I ask. Lucia nods and smiles.

"Isn't it wonderful?!" I turn away from her and don't answer. We watch the rest of the parade and I listen as our prep teams shriek when the flames go out.

"You two go to bed," Roshon orders Chander and I. "You have training tomorrow, and you need to meet Lucia at the elevator tomorrow no later than ten, understand?" Chander and I nod.

"Now, go. Us adults need to talk," he tells us. I go to my room and change into some silk pajamas I found in my dresser. The fabric feels strange on my skin. It feels as foreign as this whole city.

"Turn on your TV," Chander orders as he bursts into the room. I look around but don't see a television.

"Where?" I ask stupidly. He crosses over, grabs a strange remote and jabs it with his finger. A screen projects onto the wall in front of my bed as Chander flips through the channels. He stops on one station and I see the familiar face of Rory Mayberry. I look at Chander.

"Panem is shocked this evening as a strange broadcast overtakes every single channel on their TV. What it shows is rather chilling. I'm Rory Mayberry giving you breaking news," Rory announces. I look at Chander who stands with his arms crossed.

"Last night an attack on the first twelve districts left Panem in panic. Invading hovercraft made havoc everywhere as they attacked the places we call home. A boy and a girl were taken from each district, both between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Tonight we saw where these children were taken. To a city unknown to us called the New Capitol. The children were paraded around the city in what they were calling a "Tribute Parade". Judging by the speech made by the city's president, we can assume they are hosting another Hunger Games where the tributes are our own children." Rory pauses and I keep my eyes glued to the screen.

"We don't know where the city is or how they've managed to hack all of our channels. We are working on finding that out as soon as we possibly can."

"Chander," I whisper. He sits down next to me and we stare at the screen.

"For those of you who didn't know one of the kidnapped children was Primrose Mellark, daughter of Peeta and Katniss Mellark. She made an exciting entrance, despite the circumstances," a short clip of Chander and I in our blazing chariot plays on a screen behind Rory. "After the broadcast we rushed to District Twelve to see what her parents thought of the performance. We're switching over to their live interview now." I gasp when I see my parents being projected on the wall before me. I stand and walk to their pictures.

"Mr and Mrs. Mellark, first of all, it's an honor to be here with you," the interviewer says. "Now, what happened last night when they came to take your daughter?" Mom looks down and closes her eyes. Dad takes her hand.

"They chased us. Katniss and I did everything we could to keep her safe, but...it wasn't enough. As you can tell by tonight...they have her," Dad answers in a soft voice. I study the bruises that cover his face. _How could they do this..._I think. _Haven't they been through enough? Can't they see they're too upset to answer their stupid questions? _

"And what about tonight? What thoughts were going through your head while watching your daughter in the parade?" the interviewer asks. Mom takes a shaky breath and Dad squeezes her hand.

"All I could think about was what's going to happen to my little girl..." Mom answers shakily.

"Of course," the interviewer empathizes. Mom's firm expression breaks and she starts crying.

"They took her away..." she cries. "She's gone..." Dad holds her as she sobs.

"What do you plan to do?" the man asks. Fury rises within me. _How can he keep torturing them with questions?! _

"What do we plan to do?" Dad asks. "Well...what is there to do until we know where they are?" Mom's crying grows louder and she clutches Dad's hand. Tears come to my eyes. The interview ends with Mom's hysteric sobbing.

"It's sick..." Chander scoffs as he jabs the remote. I back away from the wall and sit on my bed.

"You're shaking," Chander observes. I look at my quavering hands and tears stream down my face. A sob escapes me.

"Look what they've done to them!" I cry.

"Look what they've done to you..." Chander says. He puts his arm around me. I start to pull away, but I need a shoulder to cry on. I'll take whatever comfort I can get at this point.

I cry into Chander's shoulder for a while. When I finally stop, I pull away from him. I lay down on my pillow and pull the blankets up over me.

"Do you want me to stay?" Chander asks. I turn and look at him. He looks at me with what seems like kindness.

"No," I answer. "No, thank you." Chander sighs.

"Goodnight, then. See you in the morning," he tells me. I don't answer him and he leaves the room. More tears spring to my eyes and I blink them away. I lay there thinking for a while about the night's events and worrying about tomorrow's training. Finally, I give into fatigue and fall asleep.

Butterflies fill my stomach when I wake up the next morning. I didn't sleep very well because my dreams were haunted with horrifying possibilities for my future. I sit down across from Chander at breakfast and neither of us say a word.

"Make sure you eat a good breakfast!" Lucia reminds us. "You'll need lots of energy for your first day!" This reminds me of my parents on my first day of school. Mom had made a special breakfast and she and Dad kept telling me to eat well for my big day. I feel a pang and focus on my omelet.

I go to change into my training outfit, which is black pants and a black shirt with a number "12" stitched to the shoulders. I put that on and pull my hair up into a ponytail. When I get to the elevator I feel like running away.

My stomach drops as we ride down to the first floor of the building. Lucia talks to us as we go down, but I ignore her. The elevator door slides open and Chander and I step out in front of the training room door.

"Make lots of friends!" Lucia beams. The door closes as I turn around; Chander and I walk into the training room and I see all of the other tributes staring at me. _I'm not making friends..._I think.

_I'm making enemies._


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Chander and I sit in a semicircle along with the other tributes. We stay silent for a moment and Chander leans in closer.

"Looks like you're drawing lots of attention," he teases. I can't tell if he's just making a friendly joke or if he's mocking me. Just to be safe, I shake my head and don't smile.

A man comes in and introduces himself as our head trainer. He goes into a long speech about the next two weeks and how all of us but one will be dead soon. I do my best to listen while trying to ignore all of the sets of eyes on me.

"If I were you, I wouldn't ignore the survival stations. All of you are eager to get to combat, but in the long run most of you will die from natural causes," he explains. I set my sights on the survival stations and decide to spend most of my time there. I already know how to shoot, and I need to work on my survival skills.

Our trainer dismisses us to the stations and we all disperse. I get dirty looks from a few of the other kids as they head to the spear throwing station. Ignoring them, I turn and go to learn how to start a fire.

I watch the demonstration with a few others and can't help but notice one of the boys staring at me. His gaze isn't mean like the others, in fact, he almost seems friendly. He notices me looking back at him and turns his attention back to the trainer.

"Alright, now that I've showed you, you guys try," the trainer says. We all gather twigs and leaves and pile them up like she showed us. Someone tosses a handful of dry leaves on top of my fire. I look up and see the boy standing there.

"Hey," he says. I look back down at the beginnings of my fire.

"Hi," I mumble. I find suitable rocks for igniting a spark and start scraping them together. The boy laughs.

"Shouldn't that be easy for you?" he asks. I look up at him in confusion.

"I mean I just figured you could make your clothes catch on fire and you'd have an instant campfire," he jokes. I catch myself smiling.

"Sorry, it doesn't work that way," I tell him. The boy kneels down next to me and watches me scrape the rocks together.

"I'm Damian," he tells me. "You're Primrose, right?"

"Prim," I say. Damian nods and smiles.

"Oh, well, nice to officially meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," I say. I get a spark from the rocks, but to my disappointment the fire doesn't ignite.

"You were really incredible in the Parade," Damian compliments. "I was truly impressed. I thought for sure you were going to burn to death." He smiles and I chuckle.

"So did I," I confess. Damian laughs and we sit in silence. My fire finally ignites and I smile. I look at Damian and take in his features. His hair is a bleached brown and his skin is dark from the sun. His eyes match the blue-green of the ocean and then I notice the number "4" stitched to his sleeve.

"So...you're from Four?" I ask Damian as our trainer tells us to put out our fires out and move on.

"Yeah," Damian smiles. "I am."

"Do you like it?" I ask. Damian smiles at me and shrugs.

"Yeah, it's nice. You get used to it though." I nod.

"What about Twelve?" he asks me. I sigh and look down at the embers in my fire. They glow like my dress.

"It's...great," I tell him. "It's not as big as Four, but it's nice. Most people don't think so, but I do."

"Well, if you think so then I'm sure it's great," Damian observes. I smile and find myself blushing. Not that I think of him in a romantic way, but Damian is very charming.

Damian joins me in training the rest of the day. The whole time my thoughts are screaming, _Don't trust him! He'll only betray you in the arena! He's your enemy!_ Another part of me can't help but give into Damian's charm and kindness. By the end of the day I consider Damian a friend.

After training, all of the tributes are dismissed to their quarters. Damian walks with me to the elevator; Chander watches us suspiciously as we approach. When we get to him Damian and Chander eye each other in a way that makes me feel uneasy.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Fire Girl," Damian says after he ends his stare down with Chander. He walks away and I laugh at the stupid nickname he gave me. Chander and I step into the elevator and ride up.

"I don't trust him," Chander announces.

"Who? Damian?" I ask.

"He's only getting on your good side so that you'll be an easy kill for him in the arena. I don't trust him. Stay away from him, Prim," Chander orders me. I'm filled with anger. Chander has no authority over me. _None_. How dare he accuse Damian when Chander himself is plotting to do the same?!

"You can't just tell me who I can and can't be with!" I exclaim.

"Prim, I'm only trying to help you! I don't think you're aware of what he could do! If we're gonna be allies then we-"

"We aren't allies!" I shout to cut him off. "Just because we're from the same District doesn't mean we have to be together! I'm aware of what Damian could do and I can handle it, okay?" Chander looks hurt and I'm glad I hurt him. He doesn't have the right to tell me what to do. He isn't my father.

The elevator door opens and we step into the penthouse. I storm into my room and angrily slam the door. Sitting on my bed, I think about what happened in the elevator. I only get more angry and decide to take a shower to calm myself down.

I stand in the hot rain for about and hour and wash away all the dirt and sweat from the day's training. Mostly, I think about the day's events though. I think of Damian.

I hate to admit it, but Chander's right. Damian could be only trying to get on my good side so that when the time comes he can kill me and be one step closer to going home. I also know that this is probably what Chander wants to do too.

The only difference between the two of them is that I feel more comfortable around Damian. I feel like I've known him for more than just a day and that I don't have to be serious around him. Chander, on the other hand, makes me feel strange, awkward even. I feel like being with him isn't so much of a choice as it is obligation. For the past two days we've only had each other to talk to, and we've needed that.

I get out of the shower, comb my wet hair, and put on a purple shirt and black pants I found in my dresser. Once I'm dressed, I go out into the penthouse and see the adults having drinks before dinner. Lucia beams and waves me over to them. I sit down and look all of them.

"Where's Chander?" Lucia asks.

"I don't know," I answer. "In his room I guess." the adults nod and we sit in silence for a moment.

"Would you like a drink?" Roshon asks me. I nod assuming it's going to be water or something and am surprised when a server sets a glass of alcohol in front of me. I open my mouth to reject it, but Roshon waves his hand in dismissal.

"So what? Yeah, you may only be fifteen, but you're in the New Capitol! Live a little, kid! You might not be able to for long!" he tells me. The truth of his words gives me a pang and I wrap my fingers around the flask. I bring the cool glass to my lips and sip the liquid. A burning sensation fills my throat and chest as I drink. The burning feels strange, but I like it.

I sip the alcohol while I listen to the adults talk. By the time dinner comes around, I have finished my drink and my head feels foggy.

"Dinnertime, sweetheart!" Roshon tells me as I blink and walk slowly to the table. I feel so strange I don't even tell him not to call me "sweetheart". I sit down and start serving food onto my plate.

Chander walks in and sits diagonally across the table from me. I smile at him and he knits his eyebrows. When he sees the empty glass in front of me he looks away. My head feels like it weighs a hundred pounds and I sway.

"Are you feeling alright?" Chord asks me.

"I'm fine," I say in a distant voice.

"Roshon, why did you have to give her alcohol?" Lucia complains. I laugh and Roshon smiles at me sincerely for the first time. Dinner passes slowly and as time goes on I feel the effects of the alcohol. My head begins to throb and my stomach hurts.

"I'm going to bed," I say as I stand. I wobble around and smile.

"Do you want help?" Roshon asks. I shake my head and laugh. I stumble towards the doorway with a goofy smile on my face and stagger into my room. I plop onto my bed and fall asleep right then and there.

I wake up that night from a nightmare and rush to the bathroom. I hold my hair back and throw up into the sink. When I'm finished I rinse out the basin. _I'm never drinking again_...I think.

I rinse out my mouth and go back to lay down in bed. My head pounds horribly and I feel awful. I deeply regret accepting the drink. I think of the nightmare I had and suddenly begin to cry.

I had been back home with my family, but we had switched roles. Instead of me being taken away, it was them. I was left all alone with no one and now I wake up and have what I've heard adults call a "hangover". I groan and pull my pillow over my head. _Never again_ ...I think. _I'm never drinking again._

I spend the next few days of training with Damian. Each day Chander watches us with a suspicious eye. On the last day of training, while Damian and I are waiting in line to practice knife throwing, Damian laughs.

"I think your friend's jealous," Damian says as he looks at Chander.

"Chander? No, he's not," I tell him. "He just...doesn't exactly trust you."

"I can say the same about him," Damian scoffs. I think about what he's said and we wait in line in silence. We are last in line and Damian goes first, he hits all of the targets dead center. I am amazed.

"Your turn, Fire Girl," he taunts. I step up and grab the hilt of a knife. When the target lights up I aim and throw; I miss by several feet. Damian laughs.

"You're holding it all wrong," he says. "Let me show you." Damian grabs a knife and places it in my hand. He adjusts my fingers around the hilt and aims my arm at the target. I feel strange the whole time.

"Now throw," Damian instructs. I throw the knife and it hits the target almost at the center. I turn and smile at Damian, he nods and we go on with training.

At lunch, Chander sits with Damian and I. While we eat Chander eyes Damian.

"You seem to be really skilled with knives," Chander observes. Damian looks up and nods.

"Yeah. I am," he answers. I look at Chander and realize what he's doing. I had been too amazed at Damian's skill I never bothered to ask where and how he learned it. I feel stupid and keep eating.

"Where'd you learn how to do that?" Chander asks. Damian sighs and looks at me.

"There was a camp," he says. I wonder what this has to do with anything, and why he's telling me this.

"They called it 'Survival Camp' or something like that. They told us it was offered to all of the Districts, but it wasn't. Only 1, 2, and 4 were offered," Damian explains. "Some parents sent us thinking it would be good, but they had no idea what they were sending us to. We didn't even know. They trained us to use every weapon you could think of. Once we were good enough they chose two of us, a boy and a girl, for a 'special opportunity'. Next thing we knew, we were on a train headed here."

"They needed Careers," Chander states. I get chills and look at Damian. He seems so upset and I can tell how the news of being a tribute affected him. I look over at the tributes from District One, Two, and the girl from Four.

"That just makes your job easier," Chander says suddenly. I look at him.

"What?" Damian asks. He is just as confused as I am.

"Since you know what you're doing it'll make it easier for you to kill Prim in the arena. It's obvious that's what you're planning, anyways," Chander states. I look at him in shock. Damian looks furious.

"That's not what I was planning," Damian tells him in an angry tone. Chander takes a drink of water and looks at Damian.

"Why else are you trying so hard to be her friend? Why aren't you hanging out with the Careers where you should be?" Chander questions. Damian's mouth twists and his fists clench on the table.

"Chander, let it go," I say. He ignores me.

"It seems to me like you're just trying to make her an easy kill," Chander observes. Damian stands up at the table.

"I told you I'm not!" he shouts. Everyone in the room turns and looks at us.

"You couldn't want to spend time with a girl from District Twelve when you could have a better chance of going home with the Careers!" Chander shouts as he stands. All eyes are on us.

"Shut up, Twelve!" Damian shouts.

"Stop it!" I tell them. Security guards rush over just as Damian shoves Chander into an empty table.

"Damian!" I shout. The security guards restrain them both and pull me away.

"You better watch your back, Twelve!" Damian shouts. "Especially in the arena!" The seriousness of Damian's voice makes my stomach churn. I can't imagine Chander having a chance against Damian. Chander may be strong, but Damian is far more skilled.

I spend the rest of the day training on my own. In the back of the room I find a camouflage station. I go over and see all kinds of natural objects that could be used for camouflage. There are even paint and paint brushes. I pick them up and start painting the design of tree bark on my arm. Most of my forearm is done when a voice interrupts me.

"What are you doing?" Chander asks. I look up at him and and hold up my arm.

"Camouflage," I tell him. "It's supposed to be a tree." I smile shyly as I realize it probably isn't as good as I think.

"I know, it looks just like it," Chander compliments. I smile. He walks over and watches me paint. When I finish I look up and suddenly realize how close he is to me. I step away.

"Let's see how it looks," I say. I hold my arm up to the tree next to the table and my arm blends right in.

"Wow," Chander smiles. "How did you learn to do that?"

"I used to decorate some of the cakes for my father," I tell him.

"Oh, yeah! Those were amazing," Chander compliments. My thoughts immediately go to when I first saw him at the bakery window. His cheeks and middle have seemed to fill out since then. I shake the thought away and begin to wash the paint off my arm.

When training ends Damian meets me by the door and walks me to the elevator like he usually does. This time we are both silent on the way there. We reach the elevator.

"I never planned to kill you," Damian suddenly tells me. "I won't do it. Never." I look up at him.

"I know," I whisper. Now, I'm honestly unsure if this is true. We look at each other for a moment and he smiles.

"Good luck tomorrow," he says.

"You too," I tell him. He nods and opens his mouth to say something. He looks over my shoulder and Chander walks over.

"I'll see you..." Damian says. "Bye." He walks away and I get in the elevator with Chander. We ride up in silence. When the doors open we step into the penthouse and go to our rooms.

"Prim," Damian says as I stand in my doorway. I turn my head and look at him.

"You'll regret getting close to him. He'll only hurt you in the end," he tells me. I slam my door and start getting ready for dinner angrily.

"Now, tomorrow's a big day," Roshon tells us at dinner. "You'll go in and show the Gamemakers what you're capable of, and they'll score you based on how well you do. That score could mean life or death in that arena so you need to go in there and do more than your best, understand?" I nod.

"What are we supposed to do?" Chander asks.

"Whatever you're best at. After all that training you must've found at least on thing you're good at," Roshon answers. Chander shakes his head.

"Nothing," he admits. "There's nothing I'm good at." I look at Chander in disbelief. He knits his eyebrows at me and I turn to Roshon.

"Chander's really strong," I tell him. Roshon raises his eyebrows and nods at Chander.

"He was lifting a hundred pound weights in training. I saw it," I say.

"Yeah, and so was your friend Damian," Chander mutters.

"That doesn't matter," I say. "You're telling us you aren't good at anything, but you are!"

"What's strength gonna do?" Chander questions me.

"If someone tries to jump you you'll be able to overtake them no problem! If it were me I'd be dead!" I tell him.

"No you wouldn't," Chander grumbles.

"Why do you say that?" Roshon asks.

"Prim can shoot really well. She used to hunt in the woods back home. The man she hunted with used to give out their extra game in The Seam. My father would always compliment her aim. She hit them in the same spot every time. Even on deer and turkey," Chander explains. I look at him in shock that he knew about my hunting.

"So, you can shoot, huh?" Roshon says. I shrug.

"I guess. Chander's exaggerating, though. I'm not-"

"I'm not exaggerating!" Chander tells us. "You're the one exaggerating! Strength won't help me in the arena! Not at all! You're an incredible archer, Prim! If anyone's going to go home it's you! I have no chance of winning in the arena, but you could just camp out and shoot anyone that comes your way!" Chander and I look at each other for a moment.

"I'm not hungry," he says as he gets up and goes to his room. We all watch him go. Roshon takes a gulp of his drink and sighs.

"I knew it was going to happen," he says. I knit my eyebrows.

"What?" I ask.

"The boy's in denial. He doesn't have any hope. He knows he's going to die," Roshon explains. My stomach churns and I look down at my dinner. I've suddenly lost my appetite.

"I'm not hungry anymore," I say as I put my napkin on my plate.

"But you've hardly eaten anything, dear!" Lucia says. I stand.

"I'm not hungry," I mumble. I walk away to my room and lay in bed. I pull the covers up to my chin and think about Chander in his room. I wonder what he's doing, and what he's thinking. I wonder if he misses his family as much as I miss mine.

The next morning, Chander and I ride the elevator down to the training room. Butterflies fill my stomach as the tributes are called in one by one. The boy from 11 is called and my stomach turns when I realize I'm next.

" ," a robotic voice says through a speaker. I feel the color drain from my face and I tap my foot. I stand and walk slowly to the door.

"Prim," Chander calls before I walk out. I turn to him.

"Good luck," he smiles. I nod and walk out of the waiting room. I enter the training area and see a silver bow and arrows on a stand in front of the Gamemakers. They are all talking and laughing.

I grab the bow and get used to it's weight and feel. It is much different than the bow I used back home. I grab an arrow and stand before the Gamemakers. They don't look at me.

"Primrose Mellark," I announce. "District Twelve." The Gamemakers turn and give me their attention. I walk to the target range and put the arrow on the bowstring. I take a deep breath, draw back the arrow, and aim at the target. I let the arrow fly and it hits the area outside of the target. The Gamemakers chuckle and I huff. I grab another arrow, take aim, and hit the bullseye this time. The Gamemakers hadn't been watching.

In frustration, I walk over closer to the elevated area where they're sitting. I survey their surroundings and think of a way to get their attention. A boar's head hangs on the wall above the mantle. I take an arrow and draw it back. I shoot it right above the boar's head and it stabs the wooden wall with a crisp noise. The Gamemakers all look at me.

"Excuse me," I say. "But I'd like you to see me shoot." They continue to watch me as I aim for the target. I shoot and hit the bullseye once again. The Gamemakers stare at me in utter shock. One of them seems like they want to speak, but can't find words.

I nod, put back the bow, and walk towards the door. I know that what I've done is risky, but I couldn't help it. They were ignoring me and I had to get their attention somehow. The Gamemakers are still silent even as I leave the room...

"Do you realize the-the penalties for your actions?!" Lucia growls. Ever since I got back and told them about my session Lucia has been going off.

"It wasn't that bad," I say.

"Wasn't that bad?! Your actions could mean bad things not just for you, but for all of us!" she shouts. I've never seen Lucia so upset before.

"Calm down, Lucia. They won't touch us," Roshon assures her. "And what else could they do to them?" He asks referring to Chander and I. Lucia tries thinking of a comeback, but is unsuccessful. She sits down in defeat. I nod at Roshon in thanks.

We sit for a while waiting for the scores to be broadcast on TV. Everyone talks amongst each other, but I sit in silence. Lucia's lecture made me realize that my decision could mean that I've ruined my chances of survival. I look at Chander and wonder how he thinks he did.

Soon, we see Felix Davenport sitting at a table ready to announce the tribute's scores. For a man about to announce our chances of survival he seems very jolly.

"Now, each tribute is scored on a level of One to Twelve. One being the lowest and twelve being the highest. Let's see how they did!" Felix announces. I don't pay much attention until I hear Damian's name. He got a score of 10. Felix continues down the list of tributes.

"From District Twelve, Chander Ellwood," Felix says. Chander sits forward and looks at the TV.

"A score of nine!" Felix announces. Everyone in the room cheers and congratulates him. I smile and nod.

"Good job," I tell him. Chander laughs in disbelief and sits back.

"And last, but certainly not least," Felix says, "From District Twelve, Primrose Mellark." I look up and see my face behind Felix on the screen. Felix smiles and my stomach drops._ I got a one_...I think.

"The remarkable score of twelve!" Felix beams. Everyone in the room stands and cheers except for me and Chander. I am in shock.

"A twelve!" Lucia beams.

"I thought they hated me," I tell them.

"They must've liked how bold you were," Roshon tells me. I look at Chander who nods. The adults raise their glasses.

"To Prim!" Chord shouts. Everyone says my name as their glasses clink together. Chander sighs and leaves the room.

"Seems like someone's jealous," Roshon mutters. I watch Chander go and am angry that he could be jealous of my achievement, I congratulated him on his score after all.

The adults and I celebrate my perfect score the rest of the evening without Chander. I'm offered a drink once again, but quickly decline. The adults laugh at my fast reaction. At dinner we all eat to our heart's content and Chander remains absent. I can't believe his immaturity. So what if I scored better than him?

That night I lay in bed and close my eyes. For the first time since I've been away I actually go to bed in a good mood. Not only that, but it's the first night my dreams aren't corrupted with

The Hunger Games...


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next morning I wake up in just as a good a mood as I went to sleep in. I sit up, stretch, put on my robe and slippers, and go into the dining room for breakfast. My good mood almost automatically goes away when I see my prep team and Roshon waiting for me. I had forgotten all about it. The tribute interviews are tonight.

"You need to eat quickly so we can work on what you'll say in your interview," Roshon tells me. "We'll have to do that quickly too so your prep team can get you ready in time for the interview itself." I sit at the table and my good mood disappears. The last thing I want right now is to go on TV in front of everyone. Of course, given my circumstances, I don't really have a choice.

While I eat breakfast, Roshon gives me some pointers on having a good interview. I tune him out for the most part because I'm not in the mood to listen to him ramble on and on. I finish breakfast and Roshon takes me over to the couch in front of the TV. We sit down.

"First we need to find your personality," Roshon says. "That's what's really gonna stand out: Who you are and what you have to offer." I take this in and wait for him to say more.

"Now, what do you think you can do? How do you want them to see you?" Roshon asks. "Any ideas?" I sit in silence and think. Nothing about myself really stands out. I don't have any special qualities that could potentially get me sponsors. I'm not special at all really. I'm average.

"No," I say. Roshon sighs and looks at me.

"Nothing? There's nothing about yourself that you really want to show the world?" he asks me. I know he's trying to get me to say more.

"No. Nothing," I tell him. Roshon sighs again.

"Alright, let's try different personalities and see which fits you best," he announces. I nod and we begin.

Roshon and I spend the next two and a half hours talking back and forth in different personalities. We try funny, tough, flirty, loud, and any other trait you can think of. Nothing seems to fit me right. Roshon studies me.

"I'll tell you what you need to do. You're an innocent, little girl from District Twelve who just wants to get back to her family. That's all you want and you're determined to do that," Roshon tells me. I nod.

"Sell that and they'll love you," Roshon assures me.

"How?" I ask.

"Mention your family whenever the chance comes, and smile. Please, don't forget to smile," Roshon begs. "And most importantly do not, and I repeat, do not put down the New Capitol in any way, understand? If they ask a question and your honest answer could even possibly be offensive, you lie. Got it?" I nod slowly. Roshon smiles and pats my shoulder.

"Good girl," he tells me. I nod and look down.

"Prim, it's time to start getting you ready," my prep team announces.

"I'll see you later," Roshon tells me. I stand and walk with my prep team to the elevator. As we ride down I think about my interview tonight and hope I don't blow it.

I spend the next several hours being plucked, waxed, and scrubbed to perfection by my prep team. Once I'm satisfactory, they lead me into a special room backstage and I wait for Chord there. It isn't until several minutes later that he walks into the room.

"I think you'll be excited about what I have for you for tonight," he tells me. I nod and he walks over to me. He grabs a piece of my hair and plays with it between his fingers.

"You're going to look unforgettable," he whispers. I smile and he let's go of my hair.

"Good," I say. "I'm going to need all the help I can get." Chord shakes his head.

"No, they already love you, Prim," Chord tells me. "I'm just making it so that they'll hate themselves for what they're doing to you...and all the others for that matter. We need to make them realize that they're wrong..." I take in Chord's words and he starts getting to work on me for my interview.

When Chord is finished, I look in the mirror. I look so different, but yet I am unmistakably me. My hair is done in a braided up-do which my prep team infused shimmering sparkles into. My shoes aren't near as high as the one's Lucia made me practice walking in for the past few days, which I'm extremely grateful for. The best part is the dress.

The dress is long and hugs my figure down to my thighs and loosens up around my legs. Chord calls it a "mermaid dress". The fabric is made of strands of reflective reds, yellows, oranges, and blues so that whenever I move I look like I'm bursting into flames. I can't help but smile when I look at it. It is absolutely fantastic.

"You look amazing," Chord compliments. I turn and smile at him.

"Thanks to you," I say. Chord smiles and walks over to me.

"Are you nervous?" he asks.

"Terrified," I tell him. Chord lifts my chin up to look at him.

"Listen to me, Prim. They'll love you no matter what you do. They'd love you even if you were dressed in the worst outfit in the city. You'll do great," he assures me. I shake my head.

"What if I say something wrong? What if I-?"

"You won't. Just be yourself," Chord tells me. "They'll love you for it." An announcement echoes backstage that all tributes are supposed to report to their places as soon as possible. Chord smiles at me.

"You'll do great," he tells me. He walks me to my place backstage and I see several people staring at me as I walk by. I ignore them and keep going. I get to my spot and see Chander standing there. He stares at me.

"Good luck you two," Chord says as he walks away. Once he's gone, Chander clears his throat.

"You look really...nice," Chander tells me. I smile at him and look at his black tuxedo and red tie.

"Thanks," I say. "You look nice too." We stand in silence for a few moments. The silence is interrupted when I am suddenly swept off my feet and being twirled around.

"Fire Girl?!" Damian teases. "Is that you?" I laugh and he sets me down.

"Hey, Damian," I giggle. I see Chander watching us out of the corner of his eye.

"You look amazing!" Damian compliments. I blush and smile.

"Thanks," I say. I study Damian's blue dress shirt, black pants, and blue tie. It isn't much, but he manages to make it look great.

"You look good too," I tell him.

"This?" he laughs. "This is nothing compared to you! You look beautiful, Prim." I blush and look at the floor. Chander scoffs.

"I think we need to start getting in line," I say. Damian nods.

"Yeah...good luck!" he says as he walks to his spot in line. I nod and watch him go.

On stage I hear a band of various horns and drums play what I assume is a theme song. Felix Davenport runs out on stage and the audience cheers. He gets them excited for the interviews to begin. I listen to the hundreds of people and my stomach churns.

The girl from District 1 is introduced and she struts on stage with an overly exaggerated smile. I shake my head at her obviously fake personality. Despite that, the audience loved her.

The interviews are supposed to last for about an hour. Each tribute is given two minutes and there is about a six minute break between every four interviews. It is very tedious waiting backstage. People are tapping their feet and waiting for their turn with Felix on stage.

Damian has the eighth interview. His is the only one that I actually pay attention to. He walks on stage with a smile and all the girls in the audience swoon. I laugh and shake my head. Damian sits and waves to the audience.

"Well, you've made quite an entrance!" Felix announces. Damian laughs and nods.

"I try, Felix," Damian tells him. Felix nods. They go on to talk about District 4 and his life back home. I can tell how much Damian misses his home in the way he talks and his facial expression. That and the fact he's told me several times. Towards the end of his interview Damian is asked about his odds and being a Career.

"Well, um, I think I have pretty good odds. I'm strong, I know what I'm doing and I'm going to do all I can," Damian explains.

"That, along with the help of other Careers and you'll be almost unstoppable!" Felix exclaims. Damian smiles and shakes his head.

"No...no that's where you're wrong, Felix," Damian says.

"What do you mean, Damian?" Felix asks.

"Well, I'm, uh...I'm not going to be fighting along with the other Careers in the arena," Damian announces. The audience gasps and even I'm somewhat shocked.

Being with the Careers gives you a better chance of going home. I never thought Damian could turn that down considering how much he misses his family.

"Why is that?" Felix asks. Damian sighs.

"I just feel like...that's the best way for me to go," Damian sighs. "Like I said, I know what I'm doing." Felix nods and the two of them stand.

"Ladies and gentleman, Damian Keegan!" Felix yells. The audience screams, especially the girls, as Damian walks offstage. He catches my eye, smiles at me, and gives me a thumbs up. I nod and smile slightly. Damian nods back and heads to his dressing room.

Time goes on and more and more tributes make their way onstage to impress the New Capitol. As the line gets shorter, my stomach turns and I tap my foot anxiously. Chander brings his mouth close to my my ear. My skin tingles from our closeness.

"Don't worry," he whispers. "They'll love you." I turn to him and smile. For once, I'm actually genuinely grateful for Chander's support.

The boy from District 11 in front of me takes a deep breath as his fellow tribute finishes her interview. I can see nervous sweat glistening on the back of his dark neck. I remember him from training and how he and Damian talked to each other like old friends.

"Good luck," I tell him. The boy turns and looks down on me. He is obviously surprised at me for supporting him.

"Thanks," he says with a grin. I nod and Felix announces his name to the audience. It is Julius. Julius walks on stage and begins his interview. The whole time I stand there breathing heavily. Nothing is between me and the stage except nervous tension.

Julius finishes his interview and walks off stage. _Oh, no_...I think. _I'm next.._.

"Up next is the tribute you've all been dying to see," Felix beams. "She's been a celebrity in this town even before she came here! You all know her! You all love her! Ladies and gentleman, the lovely Primrose Mellark!" A stage manager orders me to go. I put on my best smile and walk onstage.

The audience roars when they see me. I hear people screaming my name and telling me they love me, people I've never met. They whoop, holler, and whistle as I make my way to Felix. Felix holds his hand out to me. I take it and we sit down.

"Wow," Felix says as he looks at me. "You look spectacular! What do you think folks?!" The audience erupts into cheers and I smile. Felix laughs and looks at them.

"Every time she moves I think the stage is catching on fire!" he exclaims. The audience cheers and we wait for the noise to die down. Once they have gotten quiet, Felix looks at me:

"Now, Primrose-" I cut him off.

"Prim," I tell him. "My friends call me Prim." A few people out in the audience shout something I can't make out. Felix nods and smiles.

"So, you consider me a friend?" he asks.

"Of course," I smile. This interview isn't hard at all. Chord was right. If I just be myself I'll be fine. The crowd will love me no matter what I do, just like Chord said.

"Fantastic!" Felix laughs. The crowd claps and I smile at Felix.

"So, Prim. Your performance so far has been perfect all around." Felix starts counting things on his fingers. "You've gotten a perfect training score, your entrance in The Tribute Parade was phenomenal, and tonight you look incredible, just absolutely incredible. Not only that, but you're the daughter of two previous victors! It's as if winning is in your blood!" Felix shouts. He laughs and the audience does the same. I manage to force a smile because I honestly don't find the last part funny. I also come to a shocking realization.

"What do you have to say about yourself so far?" Felix asks. I think for a moment and fold my hands in my lap.

"Well, I'd like to think I've done pretty well so far. I don't think I've had a perfect performance," I say. "But, yes, I think I've done well."

"And what do you think your parents think about you at the moment? I'm sure they're at home right now just beaming with pride! Right folks?!" Felix asks. The audience claps and I bite my lip. My parents are far from proud, I'm sure. They're probably having an emotional breakdown at the worst.

Everyone in the audience and Felix look at me as I devise an answer. _Lie_...I hear Roshon's words echo in my head. _Lie if you have to, got it?_

"I'm sure my parents are very proud of me." I fib. "I mean, I bet they're a little worried, but anyone would be, right?" Felix nods in agreement.

"Well, they shouldn't worry. The odds are certainly in your favor!" Felix assures me. I shrug.

"I hope so," I say with a smile. Felix smiles and looks at the crowd. His smile fades and he looks at me with a serious expression.

"Now, Prim. I have one more question before you go. We've been on the topic of family..." Felix takes my hand between his as if to comfort me. "You miss your family, correct?" I look down at my hand and nod.

"Yes," I say softly. "I miss them more than anything in the world." Some of the audience members coo at my statement.

"Of course you do," Felix emphasizes. "Since I'm sure they're watching, and you may not see them for a while...what would you say to them right now?" I look up into Felix's expression of empathy with knit eyebrows. I find it strange that they haven't asked any other tributes to do this. I think of my answer for a few moments and everyone waits in silence.

"I...I guess I'd tell them that I miss them. That I love them more than anything in the world. I want them to know that whatever happens in the next few days I'm going to try as hard as I possibly can to win...to win for them," I answer. Felix nods.

"I'm sure you will," he says gently. He kisses my hand and smiles. The two of us stand and he raises my hand in the air.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Prim Mellark!" Felix shouts. The audience cheers and I smile. Felix lets go of my hand, thanks me for coming, and I walk offstage. I hear Chander's name being announced as I meet the prep teams, Roshon, Chord and Lucia.

"That was incredible! You did it, dear!" Lucia beams. Roshon puts his hands on my shoulders and looks me in the eyes.

"You were spectacular out there," he tells me. "I'm proud of you." Chord and the prep teams agree and I smile. All of us turn to the screen behind us to watch Chander's interview. The two of them laugh at a joke we had missed.

"So, Chander," Felix says. "What do you think of your fellow tribute?"

"Well, she's a tough act to follow," Chander states with a smile. The audience laughs.

"Yeah, I came out here thinking they were cheering for me when they were actually still cheering for her," Chander jokes. The audience laughs more.

"Oh, that's okay, that's okay," Felix assures him. The two of them joke back and forth for most of the interview. Towards the end Felix leans forward.

"District Twelve is a fairly small area, correct?" he asks. Chander nods in approval.

"Did you know Prim before all of this?" Felix asks. Chander nods. I watch in disbelief because this isn't true. I'd only seen Chander once before all of this began.

"So, you were friends?" Felix questions. Chander makes a face.

"See, Felix, it's complicated. I knew Prim, but she didn't know me. I honestly don't think she knew of my exsistence before all this happened," Chander explains. This takes me by surprise.

"How's that?" Felix asks. Chander sighs.

"Well, she was a year under me in school. I'd see her all the time in the halls, but to her I was just another face, ya know? Just some nameless guy with no importance to her. I lived in the poor part of town so it's not like we'd see each other outside of school or anything. It was like I didn't even exist," Chander tells him. Felix nods.

"And this bothered you?" Felix asks. Chander nods.

"Of course," Chander answers.

"I can imagine," Felix says. Chander sighs.

"I mean for the longest time I just wanted her to notice me, ya know?" Chander says. "It just felt weird knowing her and not having her know me back." Felix nods.

"I assume you have a girlfriend, how did she feel about this?" Felix asks. Chander laughs and shakes his head.

"No...no girlfriend," he says. Felix's eyes widen in disbelief.

"What?! A good-looking young man like you, single?! I can't believe it!" Felix exclaims. The crowd laughs and so does Chander.

"I wasn't exactly a ladies' man back home," Chander tells him.

"I don't believe it! Not a ladies man? What do you think girls?!" Felix yells. The girls scream and Chander's cheeks turn pink. I shake my head.

"Hear that?" Felix asks. "They love you now, and I'll tell you what, Chander. If you win the girls will be breaking your door down! I guarantee it." Chander shakes his head.

"I wish that meant something to me, Felix, but it doesn't. There's only one girl I want to be with, but I can't have her..." Chander states. I wonder who that could possibly be. I think of all the girls at school, but can't think of any that would be a good match for Chander.

"Why's that? Is she taken?" Felix asks.

"No, she's single," Chander informs him. That eliminates almost all the girls I had lined out for possibilities. I watch the screen in anxiety. For some odd reason I'm dying to know who the girl is that Chander loves.

"Well, then why can't you have her?" Felix asks. "If she's single, why not?"

"It just won't work out," he says.

"Can you tell us her name?" Felix asks. Chander sighs and bites his lip. He's silent for several long, anxiety filled moments.

"I guess so," he finally says. Felix nods and grins. Chander sighs again and looks down at the floor.

"Prim," he says. "I love Primrose Mellark." The audience gasps and Chander nods with a solemn face. I am standing in front of the TV in complete shock.

"I see," Felix nods empathetically. He and Chander stand and Felix announces his name once again. Chander walks offstage and the interviews are over.

Chander joins us back stage and I stare at him. All I feel is pure anger and hatred towards him. Not only did he make me seem weak, but he humiliated me in front of the entire nation.

"That was brilliant!" Roshon says as he claps Chander on the back. They notice me giving Chander a hostile glare.

"That was one of the best stunts to get sponsors I've ever seen! And we didn't even tell you to do it!" Roshon praises. Chander opens his mouth to speak, but Roshon cuts him off.

"Star-crossed lovers from District Twelve...it's been done before, but see how it worked," Roshon says as he gestures to me. Hot fury rises within me.

"No!" I shout. "We aren't star-crossed lovers!" Roshon sighs.

"Always the drama queen...look, you just have to sell it so-"

"What's the point?! We're gonna die tomorrow anyways!" I scream. "Why fake something that won't do anything for us?"

"Listen!" Roshon hisses. "I don't care what you think's gonna happen tomorrow, but I'll be damned if you don't convince those people that the two of you are in love!"

"But I don't love him! Even if I did it wouldn't matter! I'm going to die no matter how well I've done! All of this that's happened, my score, the Parade, and everything else has just been a set up for the final event! My death! All you people want is for my parents to watch me die so you can get revenge!" I rage. They all look at me in utter shock. Roshon opens his mouth.

"Don't deny it!" I snap. "You know it's true!" He closes his mouth and looks down.

"Prim, I-" Chander starts to speak.

"You humiliated me in front of the entire nation!" I shout. Tears fill my eyes now. "I hate you!" I storm off down the hall and they watch me stomp away in my heels.

We arrive at our penthouse and I go to my room immediately. I put on my pajamas and wash all of the makeup off my face. I lay in bed and my mind reels.

I think about tonight. I'll never forgive Chander for what he did. I've never been so angry and embarrassed in my life. I'll never, ever forgive him. Of course, maybe tomorrow I'll be dead and I won't have to.

The thought of death chills me, yet gives me an eerie sense of comfort. I know that when I die I won't have to live with the horrifying memories of the Games, but also, I wonder what will happen to my family when I'm gone. They will be devastated, I know. I wish more than anything that this hadn't happened. I just want to close my eyes and wake up from this horrible nightmare so Mom can calm me down by singing to me.

The thought of our lullaby makes me feel like a knife has pierced my heart. I remember all the times Mom sang it to me and I catch myself humming the tune as I lay in bed. I sigh and my heart hurts for her.

I close my eyes and imagine Mom, Dad, and Finnick are in the room with me. I pretend that instead of the New Capitol I am home and we are safe from all harm. I imagine that I had been attacked by tracker jackers again and this is all a hallucination. I imagine that I'll open my eyes, see my family, and they'll tell me everything that had happened since I'd been out of it. I count to ten, open my eyes, and am disappointed to see that I'm still in my room in the penthouse.

I decide that I'm too anxious to sleep so I get out of bed. I pull on my robe and slippers and leave my room. I walk around the penthouse and I look through the glass door to the balcony. A long shadow casts across the stone and I see Chander standing next to the railing. Suddenly, I feel bad for all the things I said and the way I acted. He was only trying to give us a better chance at surviving, after all.

I stand at the door and look at him looking out over the city. He looks so deep in thought. It seems like he could solve all of our problems just by standing there. The moon and city lights cast a faint light on him making a shadow that causes his features to seem darker than normal. It is almost intimidating yet intriguing.

Chander turns his head and sees me at the door. We look at each other for a moment and he gives me a half smile. He motions me to come outside and I do so.

I stand behind him as a cool breeze blows and chills me. I hug myself and shiver. Chander turns and smiles at me.

"You can come stand next to me, ya know? I won't bite..." he teases. I smile and go to stand next to him. The two of us look out at the city in silence.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Chander says. I look at him.

"They built this whole city without us even knowing...it's like a whole secret society that's hated us, really," he states. I scoff.

"It's not a secret anymore," I say. Chander nods and we listen to a crowd celebrating tomorrow's events far off in the distance. Guilt from earlier overwhelms me and I sigh.

"Chander, I don't hate you," I tell him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said. I was just mad and-"

"I know," he says. "You should be. I shouldn't have just done that without telling you. I'm sorry, Prim." I look at him.

"It was a good idea, though. I mean, it's sure to get at least one, if not both of us sponsors," I point out.

"Why does everyone think that was just a stunt to get sponsors?!" Chander snaps angrily. I'm surprised by his reaction and look away from him. I focus on the top of a building to my left.

"What I said was true. I didn't make it up. I really do care about you, Prim," I look down then look at him. He shakes his head.

"It's okay...I know you don't feel the same. Why would you like me anyways? I'm nothing compared to Damian," he grumbles. I open my mouth to speak.

"Don't tell me you don't like him. He's funny, nice, strong, better looking than me, and obviously has the better chance of winning this thing," Chander states.

"I don't like Damian," I say. "I mean he's my friend, but I just..." I sigh and Chander looks at me. We stand in silence for a while.

"Are you scared?" Chander asks. I sigh and look at my trembling hands.

"I was at first, but now I've accepted what's going to happen. I know what they have planned for me..." I whisper.

"You haven't given up, have you? You haven't even gotten to the arena yet!" Chander tells me.

"You don't understand," I say. "It doesn't matter. I was going to die before they even took us away. I realized that during my interview. It was all planned out. Everything. They want revenge on my parents for bringing them down, and they're using me to get it. These Games have many pieces to it...you're one of them...but I'm _the_ piece. I'm the whole reason this is happening to you, and all the other tributes. It's my fault this is happening..." I hang my head and shiver as the wind comes over me.

Chander comes close and puts his arms around me. I lean into his warm embrace and let him comfort me. Tears sting my eyes and I bite my lip.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. I pull away and see his troubled expression. I look away from him and out at the city.

"I can't let them use me. I'm going to put up a fight," I say. "If they're using me as a tool, then I'll at least make it hard for them. I know I can't win...but I'm at least going to try." Chander nods and we stand next to each other at the railing. Our arms are almost touching, but not quite. Eventually, I sigh and look at him.

"I think I'm going to try and go to bed," I tell him. Chander turns his head and smiles at me.

"Okay," he says. "Goodnight." I nod and turn to go back inside. When I'm in the doorway Chander stops me.

"Prim," he says. I turn and look at him.

"See you tomorrow," he tells me. I nod.

"See you," I whisper. I go inside and go back into my room. I lay in bed and close my eyes. Fatigue takes over my anxiety and I soon fall asleep only to wake up screaming from a nightmare.

Once again I was running through the forest from the Careers. I ended up in the meadow and saw the Careers on the other side. Behind me I heard the sound of a bowstring being drawn back. I turned, but didn't see Mom.

It was Chander...


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I open my eyes in the morning and look out the window. My stomach feels queasy as I sit up and look out the window. _Today's the day_...I think. It just doesn't seem real.

I walk into the kitchen and eat one last meal in the penthouse with everyone. Chander and I both gorge ourselves until we can't possibly eat anything else. We are all silent through the whole meal. There really isn't much to say.

When we finish dinner Chander and I are taken down and out of the tower separately. Lucia goes with Chander while Roshon comes with me.

As we ride down the elevator I feel as if I'm dreaming. Up until now I believed all that was happening, but now I just can't believe that this is real. Roshon sighs and looks at me.

"When you get in the arena there'll be a Cornucopia. You know what that is, right?" he asks. I nod.

"It'll have everything you need. Weapons, tents, food...everything," he tells me.

"So...go for it?" I question.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed? You'd be dead in a minute!" Roshon says. "You just run away and find water. That's your main concern, okay?" I nod. The elevator opens and the two of us walk down the hall. Roshon continues giving me instructions. When we reach the hovercraft we stop.

"Prim," Roshon looks at me. "What you said yesterday about revenge...it's true. Don't play their game...you don't have to. Show them that you aren't going down without a fight." I look at him and for the first time I'm convinced Roshon is on my side. I nod and he pats my shoulder.

"Go get 'em, sweetheart," he tells me. I nod, turn, and walk to the hovercraft. I get on board and the harness lowers on all of us. I see Damian down the aisle and he gives me a wink. We take off and fly to the arena.

Once we arrive I am escorted out of the hovercraft and underground. Two men in white lead me through several doors and tunnels until we reach our destination. The doors open and I go in. Chord is waiting for me inside and he opens his arms to me. I go to him and his embrace.

"You're fine," he whispers. "You're okay." I listen to his words of assurance and cling to them. I don't think he knows how much I appreciate him being here.

Chord pulls away from me and grabs my jacket for the Games. It is black with the number "12" sewn on the side. I put it on and look at him. We are both silent.

"Thirty. Seconds," a robotic voice announces. I look at Chord and bury my face in his shoulder. He wraps his arms around me and rests his chin on top of my head.

"Twenty. Seconds," the voice echoes. Chord gives me a final hug and lets me go. I stand outside of the tube that will lift me up into the arena.

"The whole nation will be watching," Chord tells me. "Don't be a piece in their game. Make them regret what they're doing to you..." I nod.

"Ten. Seconds." I step into the tube and look straight ahead. I bite my lip and close my eyes. Suddenly, I hear the tube close behind me and I turn to face Chord. My breathing grows shallow and my eyes are wide. Chord nods assuringly and I begin to rise.

The tube lifts me up so slowly it's almost torture. All I want is to see the arena so I'll know what I'm dealing with. I also want to see what's in the Cornucopia.

All I see is concrete for several moments until I am suddenly blinded by bright sunlight. White light blocks my vision for several moments, but I can smell the woods. When my eyes adjust I see that these woods are different. Wilderness surrounds the Cornucopia and platforms. There are tall skinny trees and lots of evergreens. There also seems to be a somewhat salty taste in the air.

I set my sights on the Cornucopia and take in all of the treasures it holds. Inside are weapons of various kinds along with tents and other survival necessities. Backpacks and other materials are scattered around, getting smaller in value as they get farther away from the Cornucopia. A silver bow and quiver of arrows catches my attention over near the mouth of the Cornucopia. _It's mine_...I think. _That's there for me._

I am suddenly aware of the countdown beginning. I hear beeps signaling the clock ticking down. My heart races faster with each beep and I prepare myself to run for it.

_Ten. Nine. Eight_...

I scan the semicircle of other tributes who take the same position as me. All twenty-four of us put one foot behind us so we can bound off the platform as soon as our time is up.

_Seven. Six. Five_...

I look around and my eyes stop on Chander. He points at the bow and arrows and I nod. He shakes his head seriously and I look away from him.

A loud boom causes us all to turn our heads. Out of anxiety, the girl from District 11 stepped off too early and now her remains are scattered all around the area. Julius looks at the bloody platform in horror. I shake my head.

_Three. Two. One_...

A bell sounds and all of us burst off our platforms and it is a free for all. Most of us run to the Cornucopia to grab what we can before we risk our lives too long. I stand in front of my platform just as the boy from 2 slaughters the boy from 3. I see the bow and arrows and look for Chander. He is nowhere in sight.

I look around and dash for the bow. I know it's mine and I'm determined to get it. I jump over useless items and head straight for the bow. The girl from 1 beats me two it and takes it. She turns on me and draws back the string. I drop to the ground just as an arrow sails over my head. The girl runs at me with fury.

I roll to my side and get up onto my feet. I see a backpack just a few feet away and run to it. The girl chases after me just as I pick up the bag. I sling the strap over my shoulders as I sprint for the tree line. The girl is still a good distance behind me.

Something whizzes past me and barely misses my left ear. A knife lands on the ground near me and I pick it up as I run. Even though I'm not very good with knives, one weapon is better than none.

I run through the trees and leave the bloodbath behind me. Any noise I hear makes me jump, as I fear it may be another tribute. I run for what feels like forever until I feel like I've put enough distance between me and the bloodbath.

I plop down at the base of a tree and catch my breath. While I gasp for air, I take off my backpack and search through my backpack to see if I got anything valuable. The backpack has many small items: a water purifier, a container of dried fruit, a small plastic tarp, rope, and a thermal blanket.

The items aren't as good as what the Careers must have, but they'll surely keep me alive a little bit longer. I suddenly start worrying about Damian and Chander. My thoughts are interrupted when I hear a cannon fire.

There are several explosions. They sound one right after another, and I know what they mean. The shots represent the deaths of those in the bloodbath. I count the cannons. By the time they stop there are already twelve of us gone. That means that only half of us remain.

I pack my things back into my backpack and begin preparing myself for tonight. I find water, just like Roshon told me, and I fill up my water purifier. Once I do that, I make a meal out of a strange lizard I killed and I climb into a tree to sleep. I cover myself with my thermal blanket and secure myself to the tree branch with my rope so I don't fall out.

Being up in the tree reminds me of my childhood. I used to climb trees all the time when I was younger. I'd make my way to the highest branch and just sit there and marvel at how I was. I'd climb up to think, to escape my troubles, or just for the fun of climbing. Uncle Gale always told me I was just like my mother because I was so good at climbing. She used to do the same thing I did.

Now, being up in the tree feels different. I'm not filled with the same sense of pride as I was when I when I was little. Being so high up isn't so much an achievement as it is necessary. I'm not climbing for fun now, I'm climbing to survive.

When I lay my head back the sun is just about set. I close my eyes for a long time, only to open them when I hear the anthem being played throughout the arena. The sky is lit up with the emblem of the New Capitol. Faces of the dead flash before me and I am relieved when I see that both Damian and Chander are alive.

Once the anthem ends I lay my head against the tree and sigh heavily. I close my eyes and wonder how I survived the bloodbath. I went against Roshon's orders and really, I should be dead. I miraculously survived somehow and I'm grateful.

I yawn and get as comfortable as I possibly can. When I'm situated, I concentrate on resting and soon fall asleep...

I wake up very early the next morning to the sound of movement beneath me. The sun is barely peeking over the horizon and I can still make out stars in the deep blue sky. I look down and see the girl from District 3 a few yards away from the base of the tree I'm in. She is trying to start a fire. I shake my head and lean back.

Soon, I hear more movement. It sounds like several pairs of feet and metal clanking together. I look down and see the Careers walking right below me. What shocks me is that Chander is with them, and he's alive.

The Careers reach the girl's fire and the girl from 2, Wisteria, tosses the boy from 1, Golden, a spear. I turn my head just as the girl's scream pierces the air around me. Her cannon fires. There are eleven of us now.

I grip the tree branch that supports me as the Careers come my way. They laugh about the murder they've just committed as a hovercraft comes to pick up the poor girl's body. I turn my head slightly downward to look at the Careers, but I don't dare move.

"Now what?" the girl 1, Jewel, asks.

"We try and find Chander's girlfriend," Golden says in mocking voice.

"She isn't my girlfriend!" Chander tells them. I knit my eyebrows.

"Look, I don't care who she is, just help us find her," Golden tells Chander. Chander grips the handle of the sword the Careers have provided him.

"And you promise you won't hurt her?" Chander asks.

"You have our word," Golden says. Chander nods and leads them in another direction.

"We aren't really gonna let them live, are we?" Jewel whispers. The boy snickers.

"Of course not. Once we find her, we'll kill them both." Two of them join the others and I feel anger swell within me. I'm not just angry at the Careers for tricking Chander, but I'm angry at Chander for being so ignorant. _How could he let them trick him like that?_

I lay my head back again, but I can't fall asleep. My mind is reeling with what I need to do next. I've found water, which was my main priority, but beyond that I have no plan. I really never thought I'd make it this far. Soon, the sun rises, and I decide to move on. Staying in one place won't be good.

I climb down from my perch in the tree and pack my things into my backpack. I eat a couple pieces of dried fruit for breakfast and refill my water bottle. I make sure to leave no signs of me being here and I head off farther into the forest.

I walk for a good part of the day along with several breaks. The forest floor is covered with tall grass and ferns which makes it hard to get through some areas. I cut through the plants with my knife and push my way through the forest.

Around noon, I stop and take another break. I take a gulp of water from my water bottle and wipe the moisture off my mouth. I'm hungry, but decide to save my fruit for dinner. My stomach growls and I put my hand over it. _What I'd give for a bow and arrows right now..._

Being in the forest and not being able to hunt is almost torture. Also, considering the fact that I'm hungry, makes it even worse. I sit on a rock and try thinking about anything but my hunger.

My thought wander to many places, but stay mainly on my family. I wonder if they're watching me right now thinking about them. I wonder what they're feeling and how they're doing. I wish more than anything that I could talk to them right now.

I sit and think for longer than I know I should. I grab my things and continue my trek through the woods. I notice that the more I walk the saltier the air tastes. I assume that I'm headed towards an ocean.

After walking for a while I feel a strange presence about me. I stop and turn my head around. No one is around. I put my hand on the hilt of my knife and I keep walking.

Crack. I hear a twig snap not too far away from me. I whip around and scan the area behind me. I still see no one. My heart rate quickens when I realize I'm being hunted. I turn and continue walking.

When I hear more movement behind me my brisk walk turns into a light jog. Behind me the noises become louder and faster. _They're chasing me_...I think.

My jog turns into a sprint and I dash through the forest. The footsteps behind me match my pace and get closer. I hear someone shouting my name as well. Panic fills me as I run from my hunter.

"Prim!" they shout. I don't turn to look at them. I don't even try to identify them by their voice, I just run for my life. While I'm running, my foot catches a tree root and I fall to the ground. The footsteps are only a couple yards away.

I roll onto my back and take out my knife. The footsteps get closer and I prepare to struggle. I'm not going down without a fight. The footsteps turn the corner and I raise my knife.

"Fire Girl!" Damian says as he goes to me. I lower my knife and stare at him in shock. For some reason, I just can't believe that he's here.

"Why did you run away? Didn't you hear me yelling at you?" Damian asks me. I shake my head.

"I thought you were someone who was trying to kill me," I say. Damian helps me up and I notice what he has hanging over his shoulder. My heart leaps.

"Damian!" I shout. "How'd you get that?" I ask him referring to the bow and arrows in his possession. _My_ bow and arrows.

"Oh, this? I took it from the Cornucopia. The Careers had it, but I snuck in and stole it last night while they were out hunting. None of them can really shoot...neither can I, but-" I cut him off.

"Can I have it?" I beg. Damian seems shocked.

"Why?" he asks. I sigh.

"I can shoot," I tell him. Damian smiles and laughs.

"You can shoot?" he asks in disbelief.

"You don't believe me?" I question.

"It's not that I don't believe you it's just you never did any shooting in training," he observes.

"It's because I was saving it for the arena," I tell him. "Just give me the bow and arrows and I'll show you." Damian nods and gives them to me. I spot a small bird perched on a nearby rock. I point to it and bring my finger to my lips. Damian shakes his head as if to say I won't hit it.

I load and arrow on the bowstring and pull it back. I aim at the bird and let the arrow fly. The bird drops off the rock with the arrow sticking out of it's side. I look back at Damian with raised eyebrows, and he nods.

"You earned it, Fire Girl," he smiles. I go retrieve the arrow from the bird. I consider saving it to eat, but it's too small to really give us any meat.

"So, where were you headed?" Damian asks me. I shrug.

"Nowhere really. I was just trying to stay on the move so I'd be harder to find," I tell him. Damian nods.

"I'm sure the Careers can't wait to get their hands on you," he says. "But I'm sure they won't." I look down and sling the quiver of arrows over my shoulder.

"Where we're you going?" I ask.

"The ocean," Damian tells me. "Not many are willing to go that far from the Cornucopia, but I can fish so we'll have plenty of food."

"We?" I ask. Damian knits his eyebrows.

"Yeah...we are allies, aren't we?" he questions. I looks down and grin.

"Yes," I say. "We are."

"Good," Damian says as he extends his hand to me. I shake it gratefully.

"Until the end," Damian states. For some reason I laugh at this statement even though he was very serious. I think my hunger is making me crazy.

Damian and I walk together for a while until I hear the sound of waves breaking against the surface. Damian smiles and the two of us walk out of the tree line and see a beautiful beach. We climb down a small incline of rocks and set foot on the rocky sand.

"This is great!" Damian tells me. We walk down closer and stand at the water's edge.

"We'll have everything we could possibly need!" Damian exclaims. I look at him and smile. I wipe the perspiration off my forehead. It seemed to have gotten a lot hotter once we stepped out onto the beach.

I sit down and take my jacket off while Damian stays standing. I set my backpack, bow and arrows, and knife beside me in the sand. When I look up I see Damian taking his shirt off and running into the surf. I laugh as he walks through the waves.

"Come on!" he shouts from the water. "It feels great!" I sheiks my eyes from the sun and shake my head. Damian makes a face and comes back up to the beach. He stands in front of me with his arms crossed across his muscular chest. I can't help but stare at his perfectly chiseled stomach muscles. I never knew Damian was so strong.

"Get in," Damian pleads. I shake my head.

"I don't want to," I tell him.

"Come on, it's burning up! It'll be a good way for you to cool off! Come on!" Damian begs. I stand and he seems hopeful.

"I'm going to start setting up camp," I announce. Damian sighs and I turn to walk away. I don't take two steps until I'm whisked off my feet and being carried off into the surf. Damian has me slung over his shoulder and he carries me into the water while I shriek.

"Damian! Let me go!" I shout. "No!" He takes me underwater and my screams are drowned out. The water feels cool and salty on my skin. It is a great break from the heat.

Damian pulls me up and smiles. I'm soaking wet now, and he's standing there smiling like an idiot.

"Doesn't it feel great?" he asks. I laugh.

"I'm soaked!" I tell him.

"I'm mean, it is the ocean, Fire Girl," Damian says sarcastically. I splash him and we play around in the water for while. For the first time I feel like I've escaped my fate. I feel like nothing could ruin this moment or take me away from it. For the first time in two weeks I feel like I can walk away from this unharmed. I feel like I might have a chance.

Damian and I get out of the water once the sun starts to set. We dry ourselves off the best way we can and start to set up camp. Damian shows me all of the supplies he got at the Cornucopia.

"I have a tent we can use. It's only meant for one person, but we can take turns doing watch," he tells me. "I also have a plastic tarp we can use if we need protection from the rain. Oh, and a sword." He shows me his shiny blade and I nod. I show him my supplies and we start setting up camp.

While I set up the tent, Damian makes a wooden spear using a branch he found and my knife. He wades out into the water and watches for any potential prey. Occasionally, he throws the spear down, but grumbles when he misses.

"How's it going over there?" I laugh. Damian ignores my teasing and continues to fish. I finish the tent and set up where our cook fire will be. By the time I finish that, Damian walks over with one large fish speared on his handmade weapon.

He sits down and guts the fish with my knife. He does it so quickly I can hardly believe he doesn't cut his own finger. Before I know it, the fish has been gutted and ready to cook.

"You're an expert," I smile. Damian nods at me and beams.

"I helped my father on the fishing boats back home. My main job was to help haul in the nets and gut the fish when we got them in," he explains. I nod and watch as he cooks our dinner on a stick. When it's done he hands me my fish on a stick and we begin eating.

"My family and I used to go to District Four every summer when I was younger," I say. Damian nods and looks up at me.

"We'd always rent the same beach house and stay there for a whole week. It was so close to the shore that you could hear the waves hitting the surface from the house. It was incredible. When we first got there I'd always run into the water and get knocked down by a big wave, but Dad was always there to catch me every time." I look down into my lap as I am deep in thought now.

"We'd all sit on the beach and play games while Mom watched. She didn't really like the beach that much, but she went out anyways so she could be with us. We'd always have a contest to see who could find the prettiest seashell. Dad would always win and he'd always give it to Mom as a present. I don't know how he did it. He'd always find the, biggest, prettiest shells on the whole beach. I'll never forget the day he searched every clam that washed up on the beach until he found a pearl. When he did Finnick and I helped him polish it so that it would be beautiful when we gave it to Mom. She was so happy when she got it. She even still has it now." I sigh and take a bite of fish.

"You must have a lot of memories there," Damian says. I nod.

"You miss them...don't you?" Damian asks. I look at him in confusion.

"Your family," he says. I look into the embers of our cook fire.

"Yes," I answer. "Do you think they're watching?" I look at Damian and he takes a bite of fish.

"Sure," he tells me. "Everyone is."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The next morning I wake up and hear the sound of waves crashing against the sand. The sun shines through the trees up on the small incline behind us, casting a warm glow on the ground. Gulls fly overhead and call to the others. A smile spreads across my face at the serenity of the scene.

All at once, I am aware of something supporting my head. It is warm and firm. I turn and see that my head is resting on Damian's chest. He smiles at me and I feel his arm muscles flex around my shoulders.

"Sorry," I gasp as I sit upright. Damian shakes his head and sits up as well.

"Why are you sorry?" he asks.

"I just- We were supposed to take turns keeping watch and I-" Damian cuts me off.

"You were tired, so I let you sleep. You needed it," he tells me. I nod and he looks out at the water.

"I'm gonna go catch breakfast," he says.

"I can hunt," I tell him. Damian stands, grabs his wooden spear, and looks at me over his shoulder.

"No, you don't have to. I think it's best if we avoid the woods for now," he states. I nod and realize he's right. Damian walks down to the surf and throws his shirt in the sand as he goes. While he fishes, I watch and think.

I wonder how Chander is doing with the Careers. I bet they're out searching for me now. I bet that Golden and the others will kill him soon if they don't find me. This realization makes me feel sick and I push the thought away. Damian spears a fish and walks towards me.

"It's not much, but there just weren't many big ones out there right now," he tells me as he sits to begin gutting his catch.

"That's okay," I say. "We can have some of my fruit." Damian guts and cooks the fish and we eat in silence. I distribute fruit among the two of us.

"So," Damian says as he chews a piece of fruit. "Where's your boyfriend?" I look at him with knit eyebrows. I suddenly realize he means Chander.

"He's not my boyfriend," I tell him. "And he's with the Careers." Damian raises his eyebrow at me.

"You're kidding," he says. I shake my head.

"He's helping them find me. They tricked him into thinking they won't hurt us..." I explain. Damian shakes his head.

"He accuses me of trying to kill you and now look... He's just leading them right to you. Or to us, I mean," Damian grumbles. I shrug.

"Chander isn't a tracker. If they do find us, it'll be by accident." Damian chuckles and I smile.

"They won't find us," he says. "We can stay here until we're the only two left and-"

"And then we'll have to turn on each other..." I say. Damian shakes his head.

"No, we can just stay here and survive. There's everything we need here. We won't have to kill each other, Prim. We could do it. We could show them we won't play their game," Damian tells me.

"We might not have to kill each other, but they will. They need a victor, Damian," I whisper. "and it's going to be you." Damian looks down.

"I guess you're right about the victor...but I'm not gonna win," he mumbles. I look at him and squint in the sunlight.

"Neither am I." The two of us look at each other in silence for a while.

"Promise me something," Damian says suddenly. I look at him and wait for him to continue.

"Promise me that no matter what happens...you'll stay with me till the end," he tells me. I nod and look into his ocean colored eyes.

"Always," I answer.

Damian and I live on the beach for one more day. We survive on fish and the dried fruit from my backpack. There has been one more death since the girl at the campfire. Now there are ten of us.

The next afternoon, Damian looks out at the ocean and squints. I follow his gaze and see a dark line of clouds forming in the distance. The clouds are almost completely black and I know this storm is meant to drive Damian and I back into the woods.

"I think we should go," I say. "There's no way we can sit out that storm on the beach. It'll blow us away for sure."

"We can make it," Damian tells me.

"Damian, look at the clouds. We can't just sit on the beach while some freak storm the Gamemakers have made is headed right for us. We need to move," I observe. Damian sighs and looks at me for a few moments of silence.

"Let's start packing, then," he sighs. The two of us gather all of our things and pack them into our two backpacks. Damian even has to carry some. We look out to the ocean and I see lightning strike across the sky. Thunder rumbles in the distance.

"Let's go," Damian orders. The two of us walk up the small incline of rocks and walk back into the forest.

We trek through the woods for a while and the saltiness in the air from the ocean gets less and less. I have an arrow loaded as we walk just in case we run into other tributes, or if I see any worthy game. Soon, Damian and I come across a small, wooded hill.

"We should camp there," Damian says. "That way we can see any attackers before they get too close." I agree and we walk up the hill to set up camp. Once we have everything set up Damian sighs.

"So what's for dinner? I can't fish anymore," he huffs. I look around the woods and see a bird fly from one tree to another.

"I'll go hunt," I say. Damian looks at me and rises.

"I'll go too," he tells me.

"Do you even know how to hunt?" I question.

"No, but I think I can figure it out. I just don't want you going alone." Damian grins and I nod. I sling my quiver over my shoulder and grab my bow.

"Okay then," I say. "Come on." We walk down the hill and I search the ground for any worn down animal paths. I spot one that looks promising and I follow it silently. Damian on the other hand, doesn't understand that, just like fishing, hunting requires silence.

I turn to him and motion for him to be quiet just as he snaps a twig. The sound echoes through the forest and a nearby rabbit runs out of it's hiding place. I quickly try shooting it, but my arrow lodges itself in a tree trunk.

"Way to go, Oh Mighty Huntress," Damian teases. I turn on him in anger.

"Maybe I could've gotten it if you hadn't been so loud!" I snap. Damian looks hurt and I sigh.

"I'm sorry," I mumble. "I'm just-"

"It's okay...I know," Damian empathizes. In the distance, thunder rumbles through the sky. The sound is so low and long, it feels as if my bones shake. I survey the forest around us and see that the pine cones are closed up. Rain is coming.

"We need to get back to camp," I say. "It's about to start raining." I start walking in the direction we came.

"Just because we heard thunder, doesn't mean it's gonna rain now," Damian tells me. I turn to him.

"The pine cones are closed. They close when it's about to rain to protect the seeds," I explain. Damian nods in approval and we start walking.

"How do you know that?" Damian asks. I sigh.

"My uncle taught me."

Damian and I get to our campsite just as a steady rain begins to fall. The two of us squeeze into the tent and zip up the opening. Thunder rumbles overhead and rains sprays onto our tent.

"I think we might be in here for a while," I shout over the sound of rain against the tent. "We should ration what food we have until I can try hunting again." I pull out my backpack and take out the container of dried fruit. There isn't much left, but if we're careful it should be enough for the two of us to live on for the night. I distribute an equal amount and we eat slowly, savoring every bite.

Wind and rain pelts our tent and we sit in silence for the rest of the evening. There isn't much to say and we can barely hear each other over the storm anyways. Thunder booms overhead and I flinch from it's volume. Lightning pierces the air with an ear splitting crack.

When it grows dark the temperature drops at least thirty degrees. It was cold before with the rain, but now it's freezing. Damian and I huddle against each other and wrap my thermal blanket around ourselves for warmth. Even with our jackets zipped and hoods over our heads we still shiver.

"Wh-what I'd give f-for some hot s-soup right now," I stutter. Damian wraps the blanket around us tighter and I lean into his warmth. Wind pushes our tent around and we move with it. I've never witnessed a storm of this kind of power.

As the night goes on, we continue to feel the storm's wrath. I know the Gamemakers won't let it stop until some poor tribute it taken out by a falling tree or struck by lightning. I close my eyes and lean into Damian. I hope with all my heart that this storm won't take one, if not both, of us.

We can only tell when morning comes by the strange, eerie light that's cast outside the tent. The storm still hasn't let up and I don't think it will for a while. Damian and I are both exhausted, freezing, and hungry. He keeps the blanket wrapped around us and I think about my family watching me suffer.

We sit in silence for a long time. The two of us fall in and out of sleep, but we are always woken up by a clap of thunder, or by being jolted by the ferocious winds. Damian's stomach growls and he shudders.

"I'll go hunting once the storm lets up," I whisper shakily. "I promise." Damian pulls me close to him and we take in each other's warmth. I bury my face into his chest and he rests his chin on top of my head. I've never been more grateful for a friend in my entire life.

Damian and I shiver all day, and our hunger worsens as the storm continues to rage outside. The sun goes down and the temperature drops once again. I whimper and Damian holds me tight.

"We'll get through this," he whispers. "We will. Together." We sit through the storm and not long after the sun had set, we hear a faint beeping sound outside. I look at Damian who knits his eyebrows.

"Is it a-?" I start to ask.

"A sponsor gift," Damian answers me before I even finish. He starts to get up, but I stop him.

"No, I'll go," I say. "I have my bow and arrows and you just have a knife."

"But you'll get soaked and freeze," Damian tells me.

"Yeah, but whatever that is out there, we need," I say. "It's worth it." I grab my bow and quiver and prepare myself to run out into the storm. I open the tent and run out the opening.

Rain is falling so hard it hurts and I can barely see in front of me. Within seconds I am soaked to the bone and freezing. I listen for the beeps and follow the sound to a nearby tree. Sure enough, a silver parachute is dangling from the branch. Lightning strikes above and thunder booms overhead. The wind blows the parachute around and I struggle to get a grip on it. Eventually, my shaky hands manage to grasp the rope connecting the container and the parachute.

I hold the silver container under my arm and run back to the tent. I fumble with the zipper, but manage to get it open. I dive into the tent shaking from the conditions. Damian looks at me in concern and takes me into his arms. I gasp as I shiver, even in his warm embrace.

"Open th-the g-gift!" I stutter, hoping it's food or some kind of New Capitol gadget that will miraculously make us warmer. Damian takes one arm away from me and grabs the container. He opens it with one hand and laughs in gratitude.

"Bread," he beams. "Someone sent us dinner rolls!" I turn my head and look into the container. My heart leaps and I grab one. They're still warm.

"Oh my god!" I gasp as I tear a piece off. I put it in my mouth and the warmth spreads across my tongue and to the rest of my body. It tastes so familiar.

"My father made these," I gasp. Damian looks at me in surprise.

"How do you-?" he starts to ask.

"It's his recipe...no one else knows it. He makes them all the time," I whisper. I look at the roll in my hand sadly. Tears spring to my eyes when I think of Dad making these in the bakery to send to me. Damian takes one and inspects it.

"Are they good?" he asks. I nod.

"Delicious," I tell him. Damian nods approvingly and takes a bite.

"Ow!" he winces. I jump and look at him in confusion.

"What? What happened?" I ask in panic. Damian pulls the roll away from his mouth and holds his jaw.

"I think I bit a piece of metal," Damian grimaces. I knit my eyebrows and snatch the roll from his hand. _Metal_...I think. _Why would there be a piece of metal in one of Dad's rolls? _

I tear the roll apart and what I find shocks me. What I hold in my hand is beautifully strange. It isn't what I thought I'd find at all. In my hand I hold a mockingjay pin.

Damian and I look at it in silence for a moment. Damian sighs and sifts through the container. There is a crinkling noise and Damian pulls out a piece of paper. He turns it over.

"It's for you," he says. I take the paper from Damian and hold it in my hand. It looks crinkled and it's warm from being underneath all of the rolls. What really catches my attention is my name written on the front in Mom's handwriting. I bite my lip and slowly unfold the paper. It reads:

_Prim, _

_Your father, Finnick, and I just wanted to give you a taste of home. We know how hard it must be for you now, but we know that you can stay strong. Baked inside one of the rolls is a mockingjay pin. It was mine when I was competing in the same event you are now. Back then, it got me through tough times and eventually became a sign of rebellion. I want you to have it, not just as a reminder of home, but to protect you. As long as you have this pin nothing bad will happen to you. Please know how much we love you, Prim. We've missed you so much since you've been gone and it's hurt even more to see you go through this. I'm sorry this happened. It's my fault. I should've protected you better. I should've done more than just offer myself, I should've forced them to take me instead of you. You're all I want, but it's my fault you're not here. I'm giving you this pin as my last attempt to protect you. It's the only thing I know I can do right now. Please, whatever happens, fight for me. Fight for me, and for Peeta, and for Finnick. Fight for Gale and Mother, too. Just fight, Prim, and never give up. I love you so much. I love you more than you'll ever know. We're all watching you, Prim, and we'll be there for you until the end._

Tears fill my eyes as I read. A lump forms in my throat and I close my fingers around the pin. I close my eyes for a few moments and I feel Damian's eyes on me. I don't care though, right now all I can think of is my family staring at the tent I'm in on the TV back home.

I place the mockingjay pin on the left side of my jacket, right over my heart. Damian looks at me and I turn to him. I grin sadly and snuggle into the blanket. We listen to the rain outside while we share two of my father's dinner rolls.

The storm rages late into the night. There is a strike of lightning that lights up the entire arena and a clap of thunder that causes the ground to shake. A cannon fires signaling another fallen tribute. Only nine of us now.

Suddenly, the storm lets up and the tent stops shaking from the wind. The rain fades from a downpour, to a light drizzle, to none at all. For the first time in what feels like forever, the forest is silent.

Damian smiles down at me and I sigh in relief. I look up at him and grin.

"I'll go hunt first thing in the morning." I yawn. "I just need to rest for a while." I snuggle up against Damian and close my eyes. I put my hand over my pin and smile. Not only do I have the comfort of a friend, but the comfort of my family too.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I wake up late the next morning and Damian is still sleeping. My head is on his shoulder and his cheek is resting on top of my head. The sun is shining outside and the birds are chirping too. It's as if it hadn't just stormed for two days and nights.

I snuggle up against Damian and sigh. I need to hunt, but I don't want to wake Damian so I have to wait. I lay there for a while just thinking. I think about my family and the pin they gave me. I hold my hand over and smile, knowing they'll always be with me.

Damian suddenly raises his head and stretches. He looks down at me and smiles. I smile back.

"Morning, Fire Girl," he smiles.

"Morning," I giggle. He holds me against him for a moment just smiling and I pull away. He looks almost hurt.

"I need to hunt," I say. "That way we'll have more food other than bread." Damian looks at me as I gather what I'll need to hunt.

"I'll come too," he tells me. I shake my head.

"Better not," I say. Damian knits his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" he questions. I sigh.

"It's just...you're too loud and you scare the game away. It'll just be quicker and easier if I go alone," I explain.

"And what if you run into someone else? Like the Careers?" Damian asks gravely.

"I won't go far," I assure him. "If anything does happen, I'll have my bow and arrows."

"But what if they overpower you? What if they take that away? Then what?" Damian asks. I can't believe how protective he's being.

"If that happens then I'll scream and try staying alive until you come help me," I tell him.

"Try..." Damian scoffs. "You have to stay alive, Prim."

"I'll try," I say.

"You will," Damian orders. "Promise me." I hold my hand up as if taking a pledge.

"I promise," I say. Damian nods.

"Now, go on, Might Huntress," he teases. I smile and leave the tent. The forest smells fresh and new like it always does after rain. I fill my lungs with the clean air and begin my search for game.

Small creatures scamper by all around me. There are birds, squirrels, rabbits, snakes, and others as well. I aim at an unsuspecting rabbit and hit it right in the eye. I retrieve my kill and tie it to my belt with a rope. This will be a great meal for Damian and I.

I continue walking through the woods, searching for more possible game. I figured that I should get as much as I can now so that I won't have to leave Damian so much. I shoot a squirrel and tie it to my belt along with the rabbit. The animals must have the same idea as I do, getting food after the storm. Chills run down my spine when I think that others, especially tributes, must be doing the same as well.

I decide to start heading back to camp. I walk through the woods with an arrow loaded in my bow. My senses are aware of every little thing around me.

Suddenly, I hear something moving behind me. I turn and see a medium sized figure behind a bush. I peer around the bush and see a plump turkey pecking food up off the ground. My heart leaps with excitement and I draw back my arrow. This is too good of a kill to pass up.

The turkey lifts its head and looks around. I stay as still as possible, hoping it won't see me. The bird rustles its feathers, looks to its right, and bolts away. It runs into some heavy brush so I can't shoot it on the run. I grunt in frustration and decide to start heading back to camp again. That's when I hear it...

I hear what sounds like a bunch of people crashing through the forest right towards me. Up the hill to my right is the Careers running down to me.

"Hey, Primrose!" Golden whoops. "Where're you going, baby?!" The fact that Golden called me 'baby' gives me chills and I start running.

"C'mon, Fire Girl, why don't ya fight us?!" they taunt.

"Watch out, Ms. Mellark!" they holler. I keep my focus ahead of me and tune out their taunts. My legs begin to grow tired and I realize how far I actually wandered from camp. I look behind me and only see Golden, and Wisteria. I can hear Thatcher (the boy from 2), Damian's fellow tribute Summer, and Chander running farther behind. I wonder why Jewel isn't chasing me along with them.

I run for a while longer when I hear something whizzing towards me. I feel a searing pain as a knife grazes my forehead. I fall down from the impact and hold my forehead. When I pull my hands away they're stained with red.

"Yeah!" Golden shouts as I see Jewel running towards me from the direction the knife came. My cut oozes down my face and my mouth is filled with the metallic taste of my own blood. I scream as I am picked up by the collar of my shirt and pinned to a tree. I'm looking Golden right in the eyes.

"Damian!" I scream. Golden laughs a cruel laugh as he pushes his forearm into my neck. I choke as I feel his arm blocking my windpipe.

"It's no use...that traitor won't help you," Golden tells me. "You're mine now." I make a pathetic squeaking noise in attempt to scream Damian's name again. Golden just laughs and Jewel smiles cruelly behind him. _This is it_...I think. _This is where it ends._

"So, you think you could win, huh? Score a perfect twelve, win them over at the Parade and interview...you thought you had a chance didn't you?" Golden asks. I struggle for air and look at my bow and arrows laying on the ground a few feet away.

"Well, you're wrong!" Golden shouts. "I'm going home! Not you, not anyone! I'll kill anyone that gets in my way!" I look at Jewel who seems to not be phased by this.

"Everyone was betting on you, but now I'm gonna prove them wrong," he takes out a knife and holds the point to my neck and I stare at him with pure hatred. He smiles cruelly.

"Too bad Mommy and Daddy are gonna have to watch me tear you to shreds," he whispers. This sets me off. My legs begin thrashing like crazy and I squeal using what air I can get. My foot lands on Golden's shin and he winces. I grin in satisfaction, but he presses his arm against my throat harder. I feel like my neck is about to break and I'm gasping like a fish out of water.

"That's it!" Golden sneers through gritted teeth. He holds back his knife and gets ready to slash my throat. I stare him in the eyes and prepare to die.

Suddenly, a large rock sails towards us and hits Golden in the back of the head. He cries out and releases me. I fall to the ground coughing and gasping.

"What the-?!" Golden grunts as he turns. Chander runs through the trees.

"You said you wouldn't hurt her!" Chander screams. Golden shakes his head and laughs.

"Yeah, well, we lied, Lover Boy..." he tells him. Chander's face twists with anger. He picks up another rock and chucks it at Golden. It hits Golden in the face and he holds his nose. Blood squirts between his fingers.

"You're gonna get it, Twelve!" Golden rages as Chander takes off. Golden goes after him, and Jewel follows after him. I sit on the ground and watch them go in fear. Suddenly, I'm aware of Wisteria picking up the knife Golden dropped. I get to my feet and dodge the knife just as she throws it. I grab my bow and arrows and run in the opposite direction, but am grabbed by Thatcher. I struggle and frail my limbs while he restrains me.

"You ain't going anywhere!" Thatcher remarks cruelly. He restrains me and I squeal.

"Let go of me!" I scream. "Let go!" He drags me to Summer,and Wisteria, and they stare down on me. Wisteria looks satisfied, but Summer seems conflicted.

Thatcher holds me up in the air by the collar of my shirt. He looks me over and smiles meanly. I stare at him and blink as blood and nervous sweat flow into my eyes. His eyes go to my pin.

"Would ya look at that?" he taunts. "Is that a gift from your mother?" I try pulling free, but to no avail. He starts to reach for it.

"Mind if I borrow it?" he just about grabs it when the two of us are brought to the ground by an incredible impact. I fall the ground with a thud and hear Thatcher struggling with someone.

"Traitor!" Thatcher grunts as Damian starts pinning his arms down. Wisteria, Summer and I watch in shock. We snap out of it just as Thatcher kicks Damian off and punches him in the jaw. I shriek and Summer gasps.

I hear someone behind me and duck just as Wisteria tries slashing the back of my neck with a knife. She tackles me to the ground and we struggle for a moment. I push her off and crawl on all fours to my bow and arrows. Amidst all this, Summer simply watches.

I grab my bow and deflect a knife just as Wisteria throws it at me. The blade hits my bow with a clash and it ricochets off to my right. Wisteria charges me and I load an arrow into my bow. I aim it at her as she comes closer.

_I don't care what you feel_...Uncle Gale's words echo in my head. _If they come, you shoot_...

I look at Wisteria charging at me. She takes a knife out of her jacket and prepares to finish me. I know that if I don't shoot I'm a goner. Not only that, but I'll be breaking my promise to Damian and to my family.

I bite my lip and blink a few times. Wisteria is only a few feet away when I let the arrow go. Her face looks shocked and scared when the arrow goes through her throat. She makes a grunting noise and her knees buckle. A cannon fires and Wisteria lays dead at my feet.

"Wisty!" Thatcher screams. I lay on the ground staring at Wisteria's body in disbelief. _Look what I've done_...I think. _I'm a monster.._.

I start trembling all over and breathing heavily as blood covers Wisteria's lips. Behind me, I hear someone running to me.

"Prim!" Damian shouts. I turn and see Thatcher running at me with a sword raised over his head. I gasp and scramble to my feet. Before I can run Thatcher is already a few feet away from me. His eyes are full of pain, anger, and hate. My eyes widen as he prepares to bring his sword down on me.

Suddenly, someone slams into me and I fall to the ground several feet away. Thatcher grunts as he brings down his sword and I hear Damian cry out. Tears spring to my eyes as I see Damian's knees buckle and he falls to the ground wincing.

"No!" I scream. Across from me, I can see the blood drain from Summer's face. Thatcher stands over Damian and starts coming at me again. Hot fury rises within me and I grab an arrow. I shoot Thatcher without hesitation. His cannon fires as he lays on the ground. Damian moans and I see Summer start to go to him.

"Prim," he gasps. Summer stops and bites her lip. Tears come to her eyes and she looks at me. I can see the hurt in her expression and she starts to back off.

"Prim," Damian begs. Summer takes a few steps backwards and runs off into the forest. I watch her go and run to Damian when she's gone.

I gasp when I see his side. There is a huge gash that has already left a pool of blood next to him. Tears roll down my cheeks and I shake my head.

"Stay with me," he begs. "You promised." I look at the gash and my hands shake.

"I know," I sob. He shakes his head and puts his hand on the side of my face.

"Don't," he whispers. "Please don't cry." I wipe my tears and look at him.

"You didn't have to do that for me," I whisper shakily. Damian laughs.

"Sure I did, Fire Girl...I had to," he wheezes. Tears spring to my eyes again.

"Why?" I ask. "Why?" Tears flow down my cheeks and I am crying again. Damian looks me in the eyes.

"I love you, Prim..." he whispers. I bite my lip and shake my head.

"No..." I say. "Damian, no-"

"I do," he says. "You're perfect. You're beautiful, kind, caring, funny, and you're my best friend." A sob escapes me and Damian wipes a tear away with his finger.

"Please...don't," he whispers. I wipe my eyes again.

"I'm sorry," I tell him. I feel warmth on my knee and see some of Damian's blood has soaked onto my pants. I scoot back and Damian looks at me.

"Promise me one more thing," he asks. I bite my lip and nod.

"Anything," I whisper.

"Promise me you'll survive. No matter what happens you won't give up...please, Prim. Promise you'll live for me," he begs. I nod and bite my lip as tears flow down my cheeks. Damian takes in a long slow breath.

"Promise you won't forget me either..." I take a shaky breath.

"How could I?" I manage to say. Damian wheezes and looks up at the treetops. I see tears fill his eyes and I know I'm losing him.

"Prim..." he whispers in a scared, distant voice. I take his hand, bend over and kiss his forehead. He smiles slightly and lightly squeezes my hand. Tears flow down my cheeks as Damian's breathing grows slower and slower. All I want is for him to stay with me, to never leave to we can live on the beach together like he said. To not play their game.

Damian takes a long, shaky, breath and suddenly stops. It was his last. His grip on my hand loosens and my heart breaks. I stare at him in disbelief.

A cannon fires and I hang my head. Anger rises within me and I scream in frustration. I begin sobbing uncontrollably over Damian's dead body and I throw a nearby knife at a tree.

I know that the entire nation is watching me have an emotional breakdown, but I don't care. Damian's gone and nothing seems to matter anymore. I'm all alone now. I'm alone, and devastated, and furious. I'm an emotional train wreck.

I wipe my eyes and look down at Damian. My thoughts go to Rue and what Mom did for her. Knowing they'll want me out so they can collect the bodies, I turn and walk away. Before I walk into the woods I turn, kiss my three middle fingers, and raise them to Damian, just like Mom did for Rue. It's my final goodbye.

As I walk away I can hear the hovercraft picking up the bodies. I think of the three families who are devastated by the loss of their children. I tremble as I realize two died at my hands. Six of us left.

I get to Damian and mine's camp and crawl into our tent. I curl up into a ball and hide under my thermal blanket. Tears flow steadily down my cheeks as I mourn the loss of my best friend.

_I love you._..he had said. I wonder why me. How could he have loved me of all people? He said I was perfect, but I'm anything but that. I just killed two people. How is that perfect?

I lay in the tent all day crying. My stomach growls, but I don't care. Soon my stomach starts hurting from hunger, but I ignore it. My cut burns like fire as well, but it's nothing compared to the agony I'm feeling in my heart...

A sponsor gift arrives for me that night after the anthem. I crawl out of my tent and see the gift sitting at the base of a nearby tree. I grab my bow and arrows and walk to it. I pick it up, look around, and retreat back to my tent.

Once inside, I open the container. There is a little slip of paper on top of a tiny container. I hold it in my hand and look at the printed note. It reads:

_For your cut. Stay strong. Find Chander. _

_ ~Roshon~_

I set the paper down and open the small container. The smell of medicine fills my nostrils and makes me want to gag. I overcome the smell and rub the ointment on my still oozing cut. The burning instantly stops and I sigh in relief. I screw the lid on and save the rest.

I lay back, grab a roll, and cuddle up into my blanket. I think of Roshon's note. _Stay stong_...it said. _Find Chander. _

I think hard about that last part. Chander is my fellow tribute and it makes sense to become allies, but I don't know if I should. He did help the Careers find me after all, even if it wasn't his intention for me or anyone else to get hurt. Then again, he did save my life by throwing that rock at Golden. I think about this for a long time as I nibble on my roll. By the time I finish, I've concluded that I'll pack up camp and start searching for Chander first thing in the morning.

Suddenly, I feel vulnerable sleeping in the tent alone. I climb up into a nearby tree and tie myself to a limb like I did before. _Maybe someone will come by the camp thinking someone's here and I can shoot them from up in the tree_...I think.

I feel ashamed for thinking of this and lay my head back against the tree. I close my eyes and soon fall asleep.


End file.
